MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION held Wednesday, May 2, 2001, for the purpose of meeting with Contribution Groups to discuss the proposed FY 2002 budget.

The meeting began at 7:35 p.m. It was held in the Senior Classroom of the Community Center.

PRESENT WERE: Council members Edward J. Putens, Rodney M. Roberts, Alan Turnbull, and Mayor Judith F. Davis. Thomas White arrived at 7:45pm.

STAFF PRESENT WERE: Michael McLaughlin, City Manager, and Hank Irving, Recreation Director.

The following groups appeared before Council to discuss their activities and respond to any questions about their requests. Council also thanked each of them for appearing and for their work in the community.

Greenbelt Golden Age Club - The Club was represented by John Taylor, Bill Souser, Bob Terrell, and Ernie Varda. The Club reported a good year in terms of fund raising, growth in membership, and a series of good trips for seniors.

Greenbelt Baseball - Cal Ripken League - The league was represented by John White and Martin Murray. There are 8 major (formerly Little) league teams. There appears to be a slight downturn in participation in the coach pitch teams that will likely affect the older teams in future years. On the other hand, Council noted there does seem to be an upturn in toddlers and younger children.

Greenbelt Concert Band - The band was represented by David Clarke and Tom Cherrix. A major accomplishment of the past year was coming into possession of the music library of the former conductor. The band has also been able to create a smaller 15 piece group that can perform during the week. Mr. Cherrix inquired about the City establishing a web site for the band. It was noted the City could make a link or provide general information such as the performance schedule.

Greenbelt Double Dutch - Kim Bradshaw and Austin Gibbs represented the group. This is the 10th year for the group. This year the group will have the opportunity to compete in an American Athletic Union championship and a national championship at Disney World as well as the national double dutch championship at Bowie State this year. The group is challenged by sometimes having to use the multipurpose room at Springhill Lake, rather than the gym.

Greenbelt Labor Day Festival Committee - The committee was represented by Patti Brothers. Ms. Brothers noted she has checked available portable stages and is going to reserve the new M-NCPPC stage, even though the cost is high. The Committee will be starting fund raising effort to restore the savings lost due to the poor weather of the last two years.

Greenbelt Aquatic Boosters - Dave Matthews and Mark Otto represented the group. Concern was expressed about a decline in the number of Greenbelt participants. Mr. Otto noted that membership on the swim team required membership at the pool. He estimated this requirement generated $13,000 to the Aquatic Center. It was also suggested that flyers be distributed in Greenbelt schools.

Greenbelt Writers Group - Dorothy Sucher represented the group. Three members have had books published in the last year. It is expected that another anthology will be published this year. She noted the group would likely need an additional $100 to help publish the anthology. This would be a carryover of the unspent current year’s allocation.

Greenbelt Boys & Girls Club - James Green and Tonya Hyson represented the club. It was noted their listed request has been reduced to $10,000. The club is close to starting a web site. It was also noted that the organization has streamlined its structure to help operations. The lower request is due to the fact that there will not be baseball or softball, due to a lack of commissioners, and thus registration.

Greenbelt Senior Softball - Jerry Jenkins represented the group. The request is for $1,000, the same as past years. The group still has a concern about the condition of the field. It was noted there is only 1 Greenbelt resident on the team, but there is a desire to field a competitive team. Council asked that an effort be made to increase Greenbelt participation.

Greenbelt Arts Center - Michael Cooney and Ray Flynt represented the Center. The Center is asking for $21,300 which is the same as last year’s request plus the Youth Initiative funding. The challenges facing the group center mostly around the limitations of the existing facility. Mr. Cooney indicated there is still interest in a new arts facility. It was noted that next year’s program is nearly complete with nearly every weekend filled.

Greenbelt Babe Ruth Association - Kelly Ivy and Bob Sonneveldt represented the association. This year they are up to 6 teams (3 baseball and 3 fast pitch softball teams). There is interest in looking into establishing a concession operation and a need for dirt to maintain the field. Mr. Sonneveldt and Mr. Ivy noted there is an interest in adding younger teams next year. There was also discussion about a conflict on ballfield scheduling.

The meeting ended at 11:05 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

Michael McLaughlin

City Manager

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