REGULAR MEETING OF CITY COUNCIL HELD MONDAY, APRIL 24, 2000

Mayor Davis called the meeting to order at 8:07 p.m.

ROLL CALL was answered by Council members Edward V.J. Putens, Rodney M. Roberts, Alan Turnbull, Thomas X. White, and by Judith F. Davis, Mayor.

ALSO PRESENT were Michael P. McLaughlin, City Manager; Robert Manzi, City Solicitor; David E. Moran, Assistant to the City Manager; and Kathleen Gallagher, City Clerk.

Mayor Davis observed a moment of silence for Sherry Brubaker, former resident. She then led the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

CONSENT AGENDA: Mr. Putens moved approval of the consent agenda. Mr. White seconded. The motion passed 5 to 0.

COUNCIL THEREBY TOOK THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS:

MINUTES:

- Work Session, April 6, 2000

- Regular Meeting, April 10, 2000

- Work Session, April 12, 2000

Approved as presented.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Arts Advisory Board #00-0002: Council accepted this report and directed that the item be considered with the FY 2001 budget, which includes $9,500 for these types of arts programs.

PLAQUE FOR SCULPTURE AT COMMUNITY CENTER: Council approved the wording for the plaque as proposed in Ms. DeWald’s revised memorandum of April 12, 2000.

LOW POWER FM (LPFM) RADIO STATION: Because the LPFM program is designed to license organizations that are already prepared to set up an actual station, Council decided not to pursue the license during the forthcoming application period in May.

RESIGNATION FROM ARTS ADVISORY BOARD: Council accepted Irv Siegel’s resignation with regret and directed that the appropriate letter of appreciation be drafted for the Mayor’s signature.

APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Mr. Putens moved that the agenda be approved. Mr. White seconded. The motion passed 5 to 0.

PRESENTATIONS:

Maryland Recreation & Parks Association Awards to Harry James and to the Recreation Department: Mayor Davis introduced Hank Irving, Director of the Recreation Dept., who described the closing ceremonies of the Maryland Recreation & Parks Association state conference, where Harry James, Assistant Director of the Recreation Dept., was given the prestigious Citation Award for 1999-2000. This is the Association’s highest award in recognition of distinguished professional service and outstanding contributions to the field of parks and recreation. Mayor Davis presented the award and also displayed the other awards Mr. James received at the conference: a Governor’s Citation and Resolutions from the State House and State Senate recognizing his 30 years of outstanding service. Also at the conference, the City’s Recreation Department received the Association’s President’s Award, in recognition of the Recreation staff’s active participation and leadership in the Association. Council joined Mayor Davis in congratulating Mr. James and expressed Council’s appreciation for his work and that of the Department’s staff. Mr. Roberts cited Mr. James’ staff work on behalf of the Youth Advisory Committee; Mr. Putens commented that the Department has benefited from exceptionally strong leadership in its director and assistant director; and Mr. White noted that it is a particular distinction to receive such an award from one’s peers.

Municipal Government Week: Mayor Davis read a proclamation in honor of this event, which runs from April 24 - April 28. She presented the proclamation to Beverly Palau, Coordinator of Public Information and Communications, who manages the annual "It’s Municipal Government Week" program in the schools. Ms. Palau noted that the school program is in its sixth year and that this year the championship will be held May 3 because of the timing of spring break.

Mayor Davis announced that in recognition of Municipal Government Week, the City is flying the "Municipal Government Works" flag. The Maryland Municipal League has also published its book about Maryland municipalities, which will be officially presented at a reception in Annapolis on May 5.

Certificate of Appreciation for David Moran: Mayor Davis presented Mr. Moran with a certificate of appreciation from the Maryland Municipal League (MML). This was awarded at a recent Prince George’s County Municipal Association meeting in acknowledgment of his service on the MML’s 2000 Legislative Committee.

PETITIONS AND REQUESTS

Betty Timer, of Woodland Way, spoke on behalf of the Senior Citizens Advisory Committee in bringing back to Council’s attention the issue of conflicts between bicycle and pedestrian safety, which was raised at the committee’s annual forum last fall. One suggestion was that a "bike rodeo" be held to demonstrate safe bicycle procedures.

It was concluded that this issue could readily be incorporated into planned activities. Council is already planning to meet in a work session with the Senior Citizen Advisory Committee and will discuss the topic further there. And bike-pedestrian safety activities can be built into Pedestrian Safety Month, which will be held again this year. Council will also refer the petition to the Police Dept. and the Public Safety Advisory Committee.

MINUTES

Executive Session, March 7, 2000:

Mr. Roberts moved that the minutes of the Executive Meeting of the City Council held Tuesday, March 7, 2000, be approved as presented. He further requested that the minutes of this meeting reflect that the Council met in Executive Session at 8:20 p.m. in the Council Room of the Municipal Building and that Council held this closed meeting in accordance with Section 10-508 (a)(7) of the State Government Article of the Annotated Code of Public General Laws of Maryland (1999 Replacement Volume) to consult with legal counsel to obtain legal advice regarding the Postal Service proposal to relocate in Greenbelt. Mr. Putens seconded.

ROLL CALL: Mr. Putens - yes

Mr. Roberts - yes

Mr. Turnbull - yes

Mr. White - yes

Mayor Davis - yes

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS:

Census Employment: Having received complaints from residents who took the test for temporary employment with the Census but were then misdirected regarding times and locations of training sessions, Mr. Putens determined that such problems should be directed to the local office of the Census Bureau in Riverdale at 301-209-7562.

Mayor Davis encouraged all residents who did not return their forms to cooperate with the enumerators who will soon be coming door-to-door.

Rabies and Fox Problems: The Mayor requested an update on the incident of last week, in which a fox that had been exhibiting aggressive behavior in the Woodland Hills area was eventually shot by a police officer and determined to be rabid. Mr. White and Mr. Turnbull raised questions and concerns brought to them by residents regarding response and attitude of the county animal control office and whether City police should have more actively engaged in notifying residents of the danger. Chief Jim Craze said it is more effective for Greenbelt residents to call the Greenbelt police and let them deal with the animal control office. He said he had made the decision to deploy his personnel in searching for the fox rather than notifying residents, in part because it was a rainy day and not too many people were likely to be spending time outdoors. Mayor Davis stressed that people should not let their pets run unsupervised and that they should be vaccinated.

Mayor Davis reported attending the following events:

The Ripken League opening parade, together with Mr. McLaughlin and Mr. Irving;

The opening of the New Deal Café;

The annual luncheon of the Golden Age Club, which now has 234 members. Mr. McLaughlin, Mr. Irving, Mr. McNeal, and Ms. Haseley were also there; and

A Senior Citizen Advisory Committee forum - Mayor Davis remarked that the "Not for Seniors Only" series is very good and encouraged others to attend.

Mr. Turnbull announced that May 5 is Bike to Work Day. Greenbelters will assemble at 6:45 a.m. at the Roosevelt Center and eventually meet up with the Congressional Bike Caucus downtown.

COMMUNITY BIKE UNIT: Mayor Davis read the agenda comments. Chief Craze briefly introduced Lt. Thomas Kemp, who described developments that occurred in the Bike Unit in early April and introduced the three officers covering the major sectors of Greenbelt: Mike Mesol (Greenbelt East), Bob Lauer (Springhill Lake), and Jim Donovan (Center City). Lt. Kemp stressed the high level of training this group brings to community policing. One important change that has been made is that the bike officers are no longer subject to call and thus can place first priority on their neighborhood presence. They are to drop in on homeowners’ groups within the area of their beats and become involved with these groups. Council members thanked the Police Dept. for its efforts in getting the bike unit up and running and emphasized how much the citizens of Greenbelt have wanted this type of closer interaction with the police in their neighborhoods. It is hoped that the bike control unit can eventually grow larger, since although the officers feel safe enough patrolling alone, doing so in pairs would allow for more aggressive police work.

AUTHORIZATION TO PURCHASE OF POLICE VEHICLES: Mayor Davis read the agenda comments. There was general agreement that this would be a good deal financially and that the commitment should be made to purchase vehicles. Mr. Putens moved, with Mr. White seconding, that seven vehicles be purchased. Mr. Turnbull moved that the motion be amended to six vehicles rather than seven. Mr. Roberts seconded. Mr. Turnbull said he believed that making a decision now to commit this level of funding from next year’s budget appeared to circumvent the budget discussions and processes currently underway with the City’s departments. The amended motion was rejected 3-2 (Roberts, Turnbull). The main motion to purchase seven vehicles then passed 5-0.

MEETINGS:

Council scheduled an Executive Session for April 24, following the regular meeting. Mr. White noted that he would not be available for a regular meeting on June 26. Mayor Davis will not be present on May 24 and requested that, if possible, the meeting with the Senior Citizens Advisory Committee not be scheduled that night. A work session was scheduled at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 26, to discuss membership on the task force for the State Highway Administration’s Greenbelt Rd. project.

ADJOURNMENT: Mr. Putens moved to adjourn the meeting. Mr. White seconded. The motion carried 5 to 0. Mayor Davis adjourned the regular meeting of April 24, 2000, at 9:30 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

Kathleen Gallagher
City Clerk

"I hereby certify that the above and foregoing is a true and correct report of the regular meeting of the City Council of Greenbelt, Maryland, held April 24, 2000."

Judith F. Davis
Mayor

City of Greenbelt, Maryland
City Offices, 25 Crescent Road, Greenbelt, MD 20770
Phone: 301-474-8000 FAX: 301-441-8248