WORK SESSION of the Greenbelt City Council held Monday, April 16, 2001, for the purpose of meeting with representatives of the Labor Day Festival Committee.

PRESENT WERE: Council members Edward V.J. Putens, Rodney M. Roberts, Thomas X. White, and Mayor Judith F. Davis.

STAFF PRESENT WERE: David E. Moran, Assistant to the City Manager; and Kathleen Gallagher, City Clerk.

ALSO PRESENT WERE: Patti Brothers (President), Barbara Simon, and Lennie Wertz, Labor Day Festival Committee; Amy Boyes, the Gazette; and Maria Piazzola , Greenbelt News Review.

Mayor Davis started the meeting at 9:20 p.m. The purpose of the meeting was to review information presented at the last regular Council meeting by Ms. Brothers, in request of a loan from the City of $12,000. Mayor Davis asked if this was still the amount needed and if there were any additional materials. Ms. Brothers distributed copies of current bank account statements and correspondence with the Department of Parks and Recreation of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission regarding the rental of the bandwagon stage and the mobile hydraulic platform. She said she was reliant upon information given her by the former treasurer of the committee but that she believed that $12,000 was a reasonable figure, given that it is the amount the Festival had to transfer out of its reserve fund last year, following two years of rain during the Labor Day weekend.

Ms. Brothers and Mr. Wertz also discussed fund-raising plans. They have consulted with St. Hugh’s about basket bingo. Using the Community Center is one possibility. Mr. Wertz said they have also looked at the VFW at Rt. 193 and Good Luck Road, which has all the necessary equipment and is well-situated for publicity. Mr. White also suggested looking into the American Legion.

The Mayor asked how much the Festival usually needs in advance money. Ms. Brothers responded that when she was in charge of the entertainment, she was given $6,000; Mr. Wertz added that there are expenses for the Miss Greenbelt contests, as well as permit fees.

Ms. Brothers reported that the cost of renting the stage equipment from M-NCPPC had tripled . They have purchased a new stage and are not giving any breaks on the rental fees anymore ($450/day for the bandwagon and $275/day for the hydraulic stage). It is possible that the City of Hyattsville bought the old one, although it is recognized that it is in bad condition and possibly not safe. It was agreed that City staff would pursue both Hyattsville and M-NCPPC to see if anything can be done on either front. In the meantime, however, the M-NCPPC stages have not been reserved.

In response to a query from Mr. White, Mr. Moran said the staff would handle, with the City Solicitor’s assistance, any needed paperwork for the loan. Mr. Putens thanked the committee for its hard work over the years in keeping the Labor Day traditions going. Council expressed its willingness to proceed with the loan and asked that the item be placed on the consent agenda of the meeting of April 23.

Other Business

Mr. Moran said the City had received a call from Pat Blankenship of Citizens to Conserve and Restore Indian Creek (CCRIC) reporting that Metro has gotten a Right of Entry permit for the area where the concrete mountain is located.

Mr. Moran showed Council the photo in the current issue of the MML Magazine taken at the Greenbelt-Berwyn Heights joint presentation of copies of Maryland’s 157 to the local schools and library.

Mayor Davis said she had seen Kap Kapastin, who expressed an interest in meeting either with Council or with the City Manager and Planning Department staff prior to the Metroland hearing. Following brief discussion, Council agreed it would be preferable for staff to meet with Mr. Kapastin without Council.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:45 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Kathleen Gallagher

City Clerk

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