Besides discussing how to fill its vacant seat (covered separately in the January 11 News Review), Greenbelt City Council examined and voted on several other issues during its Monday, January 8 meeting. First, Mayor Emmett Jordan requested a moment of silent reflection not only for Greenbelt residents who had died since council last met on December 11, but also for Greenbelt police officer Corporal Christine Peters, who was killed by a passing car while on duty January 2, 2021. A wreath was laid in her memory and in honor of the third anniversary of her death on Sunday, January 14 (see story on page 9).
Among those who spoke during Petitions and Requests, New Deal Café Board President Michael Hartman expressed appreciation that Greenbelt has renewed its agreement to support Greenbelt Cinema during the next five years with a $50,000 contribution per annum. In return, the city and community groups will have access to Greenbelt Cinema’s spaces at least four times per month for meetings.
Next, Jordan read a Martin Luther King Jr. Day Proclamation encouraging the citizens of Greenbelt to participate in projects on January 15 as part of continuing to make MLK Day a national day of voluntary service that was created through federal legislation in 1994. Information about various local projects was published in the January 11 News Review.
During Administrative Reports, Councilmember Danielle McKinney praised the city for using social media channels to advertise its job openings and crime prevention videos. City Manager Josué Salmerón added that one online platform (https://www.greenbeltmd.gov/government/city-administration/human-resources/current-job-openings) now handles the entire process from recruitment to hiring. Council also returned briefly to problems retaining crossing guards at Greenbelt’s public schools. Pay has increased from $12 to $17 per hour to attract more applicants. At present, county police are helping to fill this need when necessary.
Discussion of the standing rules for council meetings focused mainly on the time allotted to speakers during Petitions and Requests (P&R). Whereas speakers during other times in meetings receive three minutes to express their views, councilmembers agreed that P&R presentations can require more time and, so, approved the motion to increase this time granted each speaker to five minutes. Resident Xavier Courouble supported this change in explaining that English is not his first language and the extra time will be helpful. In addition, Hartman brought to attention in the standing rules document an example of gender-specific language. Upon an online search, Councilmember Kristen Weaver discovered two to three more instances of this, all of which were corrected and approved by council.
Council also approved the purchase of three vehicles, two of which are electric and receive $7,500 government reimbursements that staffs at Recreation and Planning each will use. Councilmembers along with Brian Townsend, Public Works assistant director for parks, discussed potential savings from lower operating costs versus the higher costs of infrastructure improvements needed for recharging stations. About the third vehicle, a 2024 Ford F-550 box truck that will cost $115,275 and be used for hauling trash and compost, Councilmember Rodney Roberts asked why Public Works is replacing its current Ford F-550, which has only 85K miles on it and needs frequent repairs, with the same model if this current version has proven to be inadequate. Roberts told about a hauling company he knows that has used the same truck for 40 years, so why buy another bad truck that is in addition gas powered? Greenbelt resident Bill Orleans noted that hydrogen-powered utility trucks are now becoming available, and Leon Schachter questioned the whole premise of making these big purchases at this time of growing state budget deficits. Roberts agreed with the latter, whereas Councilmember Silke Pope supported the purchases as proposed. In subsequent votes, council voted unanimously to buy the two EVs and split on the new F-550, with Roberts opposing the purchase.
Finally, council approved spending $120,563 received from the county for street improvements in Greenbelt to be made from Breezewood Drive to Market Street. To Weaver asking if this project is pedestrian friendly, Public Works Assistant Director Brian Kim answered, “not this time,” meaning, for example, that this proposal does not include adding sidewalks. With regard to the contract, Kim assured councilmembers that the county insists on fair wages and that the winning contractor, VMP, comes from a list of diversified companies and submits very competitive bids. McKinney expressed safety concerns regarding children who attend nearby Greenbelt Middle School and Pope, a former teacher there, wondered if the work might be completed during the school’s spring break in late March. Kim responded that the construction crew will include traffic control monitors.