Greenbelt City Council authorized Jill Grant and Associates to research and perform an amicus brief in support of Westport Development Corporation’s opposition to the maglev condemnation of land needed for the project. According to Wikipedia, an amicus curia (literally friend of the court) is an individual or organization who is not a party to a legal case, but may assist a court by offering relevant information, expertise or insight.
Mayor Emmett Jordan asked Interim City Manager Timothy George to provide an estimate of monies and a timeline for this legal intervention. George replied that council allocated $250,000 in the 2023 budget for maglev legal expenses and no additional monies are required. Councilmember Colin Byrd thanked Councilmembers Judith Davis and Rodney Roberts for their leadership in bringing this project to fruition. The motion to authorize Jill Grant and Associates for research and a possible filing of an amicus brief passed unanimously.
Legislative Priorities
Agreement on the final list of city, state and county legislative priorities was sought. Jordan suggested making the Greenbelt Metro Station improvements a priority. Councilmember Kristen Weaver suggested dropping food truck legislation from the list because the state and county have recently changed their legislation. George noted that Greenbelt remains subject to all the permitting requirements as before with Davis stating that Greenbelt will still need to investigate city-level legislation pertaining to food-truck permitting. Davis suggested adding sidewalk maintenance along state highways to the list of priorities. Other topics included Greenbelt school boundary changes.
Jordan suggested the Bureau of Engraving and Printing facility at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center might need closer examination as to how trucks will arrive there; he was concerned this might mean changes to the Baltimore-Washington Parkway to allow truck traffic. In connection with this, Roberts wanted to retain the priority of opposing privatization of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and Jordan concurred. Greenbelt resident Michael Hartman suggested that since the Community Solar project will expire in 2024, priority should be given to making it a permanent item.
Jordan asked George to have staff research these priorities and prepare a booklet that can be given to state and county representatives at the upcoming legislative dinner.
Vehicle Purchases
Three vehicles will be purchased for $90,426 (two for Animal Control and one for the Crisis Intervention Team). Police Chief Richard Bowers noted the previous order of Animal Control vehicles was cancelled by the manufacturer and that the new Crisis Intervention Team member expected in January will need a vehicle.
Roberts noted that the average lifespan of a vehicle is about 20 years and vehicles can be retrofitted for electric or fuel cell use. Jordan and Gordon both hoped this would be the last vehicle purchase for this budget year and also that Greenbelt would transition to an electric fleet. Davis recommended adding electric charging stations to the budget at the prebudget meetings and this was unanimously approved by council.
Wi-Fi Equipment
The purchase of Meraki Wi-Fi equipment (access points and firewall) will extend the communications networks in Greenbelt for a total cost of $50,506. Director of Information Technology Dale Worley explained that the areas most in need of access are primarily in central Greenbelt but that parts of Franklin Park will be assessed. Byrd suggested that the Schrom Hills Park pavilion and Springhill Lake’s rear open areas should be considered in the future for assessment. Weaver noted that the purchased equipment is for indoor, not outdoor spaces and that the challenge with large outdoor spaces involves an expensive backhaul provision, which connects the central network to individual or public networks. Worley added that the floating Wi-Fi access points could be moved temporarily to areas where connectivity is needed. Purchase was unanimously approved by council.
Administrative Reports
George is working with Elizabeth Park, director of CARES, and Christine Peusch, executive director of the Maryland State Child Care Association, to start the development of a Childcare Voucher Program using American Rescue Plan Act funds. George is also researching partnership opportunities for the program. When the voucher program is ready for review, it will come up for discussion and approval at a regular council meeting.
George mentioned Economic Development Manager Kevin Simpson’s work on grants and micro-loans for small businesses and that staff members are now training on the new financial management systems. George also noted that the Comcast renewal franchise agreement had been 10 years in the making and had involved many resolute staff members in its development. He felt that, as a result of their efforts, this agreement is one of the most beneficial given to a municipality.
Readers may find all the source documents for this article by going to the city website at greenbeltmd.gov and clicking on the button for Municipal Access TV, which links to the page for council meetings. Find the Agenda Packet for the meeting dated Nov. 28, 2022 and open it for links to the agenda documents. 