Now three months on the job, City Manager Josué Salmerón has been listening to community residents, city staff and department heads to learn how the city works, the Greenbelt way. He shared with the News Review some of the big topics facing the city and some of what he’s learned in his first few weeks.
Understanding Policing
Recently, Salmerón rode with a Greenbelt police officer who was on duty. A call came in about a 13-year-old runaway girl. They found the child, and the officer used crisis intervention techniques to calm the child and family, who were referred to CARES for follow-up assistance. Salmerón commended the officer and was glad for the special training instituted by Chief Richard Bowers.
He also noted that crime trend spikes are disturbing and, given current laws in place, the city has to find a balance between public safety and enforcement, family development and the community’s need for a safe city. In addition to the local populace, the Police Department also serves other cities and communities, says Salmerón. There are a number of youths traveling into our city from surrounding areas via public transportation. Most youth positively engage in the community, visiting the youth and recreation centers and friends, but a few commit crimes in Greenbelt causing increases in youth crime statistics. An example would be recent carjackings or thefts that have taken place in Greenbelt but the vehicles and sometimes the perpetrators turn up in nearby cities.
Recreation
After meeting with Director of Recreation Greg Varda, Salmerón learned that Greenbelt’s Recreation Department serves a lot of residents, which speaks positively to the quality of the programs being offered. Yet, he thinks transportation needs to be enhanced to enable more residents to engage in recreation programs offered in the city center, or for Recreation to offer programming tailored to all areas of the city. It is a conundrum that he thinks will require research, discussion and planning.
Supporting Youth, Families
Salmerón is impressed with the degree of services offered to city residents through CARES and the Greenbelt Assistance in Living program that assist at-risk youth and help maintain families and elders of Greenbelt. American Rescue Plan Act funds, some of which are supervised through CARES, add a lot of value to the community, he said, noting they were used to resolve issues impacting residents like rent and health subsidies, especially during the Covid pandemic.
Financial Outlook
Salmerón is joining city staff during a time of financial stability. After a review of the city’s finances with City Treasurer Bertha Gaymon, he learned that Greenbelt has 7 percent more revenue than budgeted this year. Expenses ended 4 percent below budget. He was pleased that the city spent less than expected and is in a strong financial position.
DEI
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) work is just beginning, and as part of that work the city manager’s office will be updating employment policies to help attract and retain talent for future city growth. He is pleased to have staff who have been employed for 25 to 30 years as they provide stability to various city agencies. New staff bring different perspectives, and Salmerón’s goal is to merge past traditions with new innovations to strengthen city operations.
Working with Council
In meeting with members of the Greenbelt City Council, Salmerón noted that the city manager’s vision and goals have to align to those of council in order for both entities to be in sync. This alignment can only serve to strengthen operations and services for city residents. Following the November city election, new councilmembers will take the seat vacated mid-term by Colin Byrd and the seat occupied by the retiring Judith Davis, so Salmerón will be working with a new council.
Finding a Place
As for Salmerón’s house search, he recently purchased a home in GHI. His children currently bike to school in Ohio and he wants to maintain their family lifestyle, living in and engaging with their community as much as possible.