The city council has only one more opportunity to beat this year’s record for longest council meeting, which was set at 3 hours, 34 minutes and 16 seconds at the regular meeting of November 23. The only regular meeting this month will be held on December 14. Will the record be broken? Only time will tell.
The first hour of last week’s meeting was largely taken up with two petitions to council from the floor. Other topics considered during the remaining time will be reported in other articles.
Considerable discussion took place about two petitions asking council to communicate with its federal and state elected representatives. Although in both cases the initiators were quite insistent that council wave its standing rules which require receipt of petitions at one meeting and any action by council at a later date. The petitioners urged instead that the council take action that night. However, council scheduled both items for further discussion and action at the December 14 meeting in order that proper public notice can be given and other residents can participate in the discussion or make their views known to council if they wish.
Climate Change
The first petition, presented by Stephanie Warner and Lore Rosenthal on behalf of the Greenbelt Climate Action Network (GCAN), asked that council send a letter to President Obama, urging him to take the lead in moving the global community toward a strong agreement to deal with climate change at the COP21 conference, which is meeting near Paris from November 30 until December 11.
In a proposed draft letter, GCAN took the tack of stressing the threats presented by climate change but then presenting Greenbelt as a model of what actions and commitments local governments and citizens are already engaged in with a goal of reducing it. Councilmembers expressed agreement with the intent of the letter and thanked GCAN for its documentation of the many actions the city has taken but directed staff to work further on the letter for discussion at the next meeting.
Syrian Refugees
The second petition was presented by Josh Hamlin for council to draft a resolution expressing Greenbelt’s willingness to welcome Syrian refugees to Greenbelt. He said the intention was largely symbolic and not to ask residents to take refugees in or to do anything more than support the pledge President Obama has already made. Hamlin expressed his deep concern with conditions in Syria.
“We’re on a dangerous road,” he said, and expressed his belief that no more time should be lost by individuals and communities in standing up for their beliefs.
Hamlin tied his request to the Greenbelt Community Pledge, which he read aloud and which was quickly recognized by councilmembers as a possible unifying principle for addressing the topic in a statement from the city that would likely be in a letter form rather than a resolution, as is typically Greenbelt’s practice.
Generally, there was a willingness on council’s part to consider making such a statement. Mayor Emmett Jordan suggested that perhaps it should be directed to Governor Hogan with copies to others. Councilmember Konrad Herling suggested it should be sent to the city’s Congressional delegation as well, since the authority for acting on the matter is federal.
The Community Pledge reads as follows: “The strength of Greenbelt is diverse people living together in a spirit of cooperation. We celebrate people of many cultures, faiths, and races living together. By sharing together all are enriched. We pledge to foster a community which is respectful, safe, and fair for all people.”
Several people spoke in support of Hamlin’s petition and urged council to take action that night, including Reverend Daniel Hamlin and Melissa Ehrenreich. A motion by Councilmember Rodney Roberts to put it on the agenda for action did not receive a second. Instead, council directed the city manager to develop a draft letter for consideration at the next meeting.
It is expected that both petitions will be on the agenda of the Monday, December 14 meeting.