REGULAR MEETING OF GREENBELT CITY COUNCIL held Monday, April 9, 2001.

Mayor Davis called the meeting to order at 8:08 p.m.

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

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

Mayor Davis observed a moment of silence for Greenbelt residents John Beyrent, Barbara Drake, and Norma M. Leech and former residents Vivian Edwards and Eva Love. She then led the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

CONSENT AGENDA: A motion to approve the consent agenda was made by Mr. Putens and seconded by Mr. Turnbull. The motion passed 5-0.

Council thereby took the following actions:

MINUTES

- Work Session, March 14, 2001

- Interview, March 26, 2001

- Regular Meeting, March 26, 2001

Approved as presented.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

- Community Relations Advisory Board, Report #2001-1 (Proposed Peace and Non-Violence Activities): Council accepted this report and will consider it at the next meeting.

- Advisory Committee on Education, Report #1-2001 (Potential Changes at Eleanor Roosevelt High School): Council accepted this report and will consider it at the next meeting.

SENIOR CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE OPEN FORUM REPORT - STAFF RESPONSE: Council directed staff to forward the response to the Senior Citizens Advisory Committee for their review.

APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND ADDITIONS: Mr. Putens moved approval of the agenda. Mr. Turnbull seconded. The motion passed 5-0.

PRESENTATIONS

Tree City USA Designation/Arbor Day Proclamation: The Mayor read the agenda comments. Beth Bader, Maryland State Forester, presented the City with a plaque, a flag and two signs. Mr. McLaughlin noted that Bill Phelan, Superintendent of Operations and liaison to the Advisory Committee on Trees (ACT), had been instrumental in preparing the application for the Tree City status.

Charles Jackman of ACT introduced the other members of the committee, Jennifer Sager and Bob Trumbule. Mayor Davis announced that the City would celebrate Arbor Day in conjunction with Earth Day on April 21, when 25 trees would be planted near the Springhill Lake Recreation Center. She then read an Arbor Day proclamation and presented it to the members of the tree committee.

PETITIONS AND REQUESTS: Marjorie Whitacre, 7313 Morrison Drive, appeared on behalf of Kris White of the Greenbelt Dog Park Association. She had come to inform Council that the great majority of the members favored the City’s closing the Dog Park as needed for re-sodding. Mr. Putens made a motion to add the Dog Park to the agenda, and it was decided to order it between items #11 and #12. Mr. Turnbull asked if anyone had come to the meeting to speak against closing the park, and no one responded. Mr. Roberts seconded. The motion passed 5-0.

MINUTES OF MEETINGS:

Executive Session, March 12, 2001

Mr. Roberts moved that the minutes of the Executive Session of the City Council held Monday, March 12, 2001, be approved as presented. He further requested that the minutes of this meeting reflect that the Council met in Executive Session at 7:35 p.m. in the Municipal Building Library 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 to consult with legal counsel regarding ongoing litigation. Mr. Putens seconded the motion.

ROLL CALL: Mr. Putens - yes

Mr. Roberts - yes

Mr. Turnbull - yes

Mr. White - yes

Mayor Davis - yes

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS

Mr. McLaughlin introduced Mr. Shay, who will be acting as City Solicitor on evenings when Mr. Manzi is in Laurel.

Mr. White asked Mr. McLaughlin whether any progress had been made in working with the students at Eleanor Roosevelt High School who want to establish a recycling program. Mr. McLaughlin said the Junior Civitans have started a paper recycling program and arranged with the City to bring it to the Recycling Center.

Mr. Turnbull asked for follow-up on his query about accident statistics at the intersection of Cherrywood Lane and Metro Drive. Mr. McLaughlin said he has information in hand on this subject and will transmit it to Council soon.

Mayor Davis thanked Mr. White for agreeing to substitute for her next week at a Council of Governments (COG) Board of Directors meeting. She announced that the City’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) request for $100,000 for street improvements to Springhill Drive has gone forward to the County Council. On March 28, she attended the Annapolis reception for the Prince George’s County Showcase. On March 30 she attended a COG workshop on Digital and Technology Opportunities. On April 3, she attended the International Pot Luck Dinner and showcase at Springhill Lake Elementary School. On April 1, she and Mr. Turnbull participated in the opening of Acme Clown month.

LEGISLATION

A Resolution to Negotiate the Purchase of Ventilation Equipment for the Greenbelt Public Works Facility from Air Purification Systems of Baltimore, Maryland, in the Sum of $31,261: The Mayor read the agenda comments. Mr. Roberts introduced the resolution for first reading and then asked Mr. Phelan for clarification, which he provided, on the options that had been available.

PROPOSAL TO CLOSE DOG PARK FOR RE-SODDING: Mr. Putens moved that the City close the park according to the City Manager’s plan for re-sodding and restoration. Mr. Turnbull seconded. Mr. White asked if staff had looked into alternative locations for use while the park is closed, and Mr. McLaughlin said no appropriate sites had been found, primarily because of the limitations imposed by the need to have the space completely enclosed. Mr. Roberts asked about the suggestion that future expansion of the park be in the direction of the Sunrise property. Mr. McLaughlin said he would like Council to consider this possibility, should it turn out to be an option. Mr. White asked what had caused the park to be in such a state. Mr. McLaughlin said we needed a more aggressive maintenance plan and deferred to Mr. Phelan, who said that, in addition to the problems with using fertilizer in an area used by animals, this park is simply too small for the number of animals running on it. He said if the park is expanded, the City should rotate one part of it out every year to heal.

Mr. Roberts and Mr. Turnbull agreed that they did not wish to have to re-sod the park continually and asked staff to come up with long-term solutions. Katrina Boverman, 3-C Gardenway, praised the City for the establishment of the park and reiterated that almost all of the members of the association were willing to have it closed temporarily. She said surfacing other than sod supposedly can be a problem because some dogs will eat mulch and can cut themselves on chips. She said the association had not looked into this formally, however, but would do so as part of looking at longer-term issues. She encouraged re-sodding for the time being.

When the vote was called, the motion passed 5-0.

BABE RUTH BASEBALL - REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL FY 2001 FUNDING: The Mayor read the agenda comments. Bob Sonneveldt, 126 Lakeside Drive, appeared on behalf of the Greenbelt Babe Ruth Association. The Mayor asked the City Manager where the money would come from, and he said from the reserve appropriation. Mr. Roberts moved approval of the request for additional funding in the amount of $2,500. Mr. Putens seconded. Mr. White asked if females were playing in the league. Mr. Sonneveldt said they are not playing baseball but the three softball teams are all-girls teams. The motion passed 5-0.

LABOR DAY FESTIVAL - REQUEST FOR FY 2002 FUNDING: Mayor Davis read the agenda comments. Patti Brothers, 37 Lakeside Drive, President of the Labor Day Festival Committee, appeared on behalf of the group. The Labor Day Festival is requesting a loan from the City of $12,000, because of the impact on their revenues of the rains of the previous two years. Staff confirmed there would not be enough time to incorporate this discussion into the Contributions Group budget session. In response to Mr. Roberts’ question of whether there are precedents for City loans of this type, Council members cited several examples. Mayor Davis also noted that the Labor Day Festival has returned money to the City in more profitable years. Council agreed to meet with the Labor Day Festival next Monday night at 9 p.m., following the scheduled work session.

RESPONSE TO M-NCPPC - REQUEST FOR INCREASE IN FINANCIAL SUPPORT: Mayor Davis read the agenda comments. Council discussed the article in a recent Prince George’s Journal that said the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) will be cutting back on funding to municipalities. It was eventually decided to go with the $100,000 request in the City Manager’s draft letter and to incorporate two changes suggested by Mr. Turnbull: 1) to establish a tone suggesting that the City is being quite conservative in asking for this amount, and 2) removing or rephrasing the section on the Aquatic and Fitness Center, which may not be diplomatic in its possible suggestion that Greenbelt is drawing off patrons from county facilities. Mr. White made this motion, Mr. Putens seconded, and the motion carried 5-0.

SCHEDULING OF SPECIAL CHARTER MEETING FOLLOWING CITY ELECTION: Mayor Davis read the agenda comments. Council decided it preferred not to revise the Charter to permit the Special Charter meeting to be held on Tuesday in years when the Monday following the election is a City holiday.

MEETINGS: The Mayor said she thought it might be necessary to move up the redistricting meeting. Council asked Mr. Moran to prepare material for them outlining the various alternatives and time lines for this process.

ADJOURNMENT: A motion to adjourn was made by Mr. Putens and seconded by Mr. Turnbull. The motion carried 5-0. Mayor Davis adjourned the regular meeting of April 9, 2001, at 9:44 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 9, 2001."

Judith F. Davis

Mayor

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