In another marathon session lasting until nearly 1 a.m., the Greenbelt City Council at its September 13 regular meeting approved a staff recommendation for a one-time food truck event, adopted a set of financial policies aimed to strengthen its potential credit rating and approved a list of public sites for the posting of campaign signs.
Food Trucks
On a 6 to 1 vote with Councilmember Leta Mach opposed, council approved the staff proposal to organize a one-time, stand-alone food truck event. A memo from Assistant Director of Recreation Andrew Phelan and Economic Development Coordinator Charise Liggins urged the city to take a “more deliberate approach” when introducing such an event.
Although council had suggested hosting a food truck event as part of the Fall Fest during its August 18 worksession, Phelan explained that Fall Fest already draws a large crowd and could create capacity issues if the food trucks attracted additional attendees. In their memo, Phelan and Liggins said that coordinating regular food truck events would require a significant time commitment from staff that would be difficult to absorb. County regulations require a food truck hub coordinator to be present at every food truck hub event. Staff would be required to handle tasks such as event logistics, permits, marketing, traffic control, trash cleanup and more. For future events, Phelan and Liggins supported consideration of a model similar to the Labor Day Festival where a community group would handle the coordination of food truck events.
Liggins also offered assistance to community groups wanting to host food truck events and to Greenbelters wishing to become registered food truck vendors, as required under county regulations.
Councilmember Emmett Jordan argued that the city should first identify and obtain authorization from the county for locations of possible food truck events. However, Liggins noted that under county regulations, the city could not just identify a site. At least two registered food truck vendors would have to be identified to obtain authorization.
Councilmember Silke Pope, declaring she loves food trucks, said that a hub is not the best approach for the city. It needs the flexibility to hold events in different locations. Councilmember Edward Putens called for at least three events as he did not think a one-time event would make money for the vendors.
Councilmember Rodney Roberts noted that the vendors are in business to make a living and that council should be working to make it possible for a food truck to come to Greenbelt wherever they want to operate. The operators, he said, have a better idea than the city as to where they can make money. Roberts argued that the city should be pressing the county to relax its food truck regulations. Several other councilmembers voiced support for this.
The actual item on the agenda, added by Mayor Colin Byrd, was to direct staff to establish a weekly food truck night at a city park and to coordinate and facilitate including food trucks as part of upcoming events such as July Fourth, Black History Month, Fall Fest, the annual egg hunt, Greenbelt Day, Gobble Wobble and the Winter Lights Festival. During discussion of the staff report, it became clear that there was little support for this ambitious proposal and Byrd did not make his motion.
Financial Policies
Following discussion at several worksessions, council adopted on a 6 to 1 vote, with Byrd opposed, a set of financial policies designed to help the city obtain a good credit rating should it decide to issue bonds to finance its growing list of capital needs.
These policies require the city to maintain reserves of 18 to 20 percent, divided between a rainy-day fund of 15 percent of general fund expenditures and a budget stabilization fund of 3 to 5 percent. Approval from a supermajority of council would be required to allow the rainy-day fund to fall below 15 percent. The adopted budget for the current fiscal year falls slightly below the adopted limits with reserves of 16.5 percent.
The adopted policies would also require that the city limit borrowing to no more than 3 percent of total assessed valuation, debt service to no more than 12 percent of general fund expenditures and limit debt service plus pensions and other post-employment benefits to no more than 25 percent of general fund expenditures. The city is currently well below these limits.
Byrd worried that the policies would limit the city’s ability to use reserves to meet obligations such as paying staff. He pointed out that the city had often operated with much lower reserves than the new policies would allow. Roberts cautioned that the city should not use reserves to pay ongoing costs such as salaries. However, Roberts was concerned that council could be moving toward taking on too much debt with the new metrics. Putens pointed out that the ability to issue bonds would provide the city with greater flexibility to finance needed projects.
City Manager Nicole Ard reminded council that when the city operated with lower reserves it sometimes had to take out tax anticipation loans to pay staff and meet its obligations. “That is not something you want to do,” she said.
Other Actions
On a 6 to 1 vote with Roberts opposed, council approved the city clerk’s proposal for campaign signs on public property. Since 1991, council has established locations throughout the city where it posts campaign signs from council candidates. To participate, candidates must agree not to place signs in residential yards. Signs will be posted by city staff, not the candidates, with sign placement determined by lottery.
Byrd issued proclamations declaring Saturday, September 25, as Public Lands Day and September 15 to October 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month in Greenbelt.