Greenbelt City Council held a worksession on Wednesday, July 31 in order for City Manager Josué Salmerón and the heads of city departments to review their activities during Fiscal Year 2024’s fourth quarter and identify current goals. Salmerón began by noting continued efforts to improve procedures and retain records within city government. Even though Greenbelt faced and closed a $3 million deficit, staff was able to fill two crisis intervention positions that are vital in addressing trauma and crisis within our community. Furthermore, Greenbelt added over 1,300 new subscribers to those who already receive emails from the city and open them at an impressive 56 percent rate. Among priorities looking forward, Salmerón singled out the Justice, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiative (DEI) and further improvements to infrastructure as important areas for the city to concentrate its efforts.
Public Works
With regard to the latter, Salmerón, along with Assistant Director of Public Works Brian Kim, showed slides of upgrades made at Springhill Lake Recreation Center which include a newly painted gym, $350,000 worth of new equipment purchased for ballfield maintenance and a new landscape design installed at Greenbelt Aquatic & Fitness Center. Mayor Emmett Jordan asked that Public Works also improve the signs at Schrom Hills Park and McDonald Field. Salmerón explained that Public Works undertakes special projects in addition to handling daily tasks such as picking up trash and cleaning up debris following storms, for instance a tree recently fallen on a city tennis court.
Human Resources
Human Resources (HR) Director Duwane Martinez next identified among the department’s recent accomplishments the hiring of two mental health professionals for Greenbelt CARES, 78 summer camp staff in Recreation and five summer personnel for Public Works. HR is also interviewing for two positions at the city’s animal shelter and one in economic development. Responding to questions from council, Martinez explained that HR continues to update Greenbelt’s employment policies to comply with DEI guidelines. Martinez told Jordan that new software will soon allow HR to better provide statistics on the composition of city staff.
Finance Department
City Treasurer Bertha Gaymon next summarized the department’s responsibilities to submit budgets and prepare for audits under various deadlines. The Fiscal Year 2025 city budget, which went into effect on July 1, maintained the salary levels that were established in last year’s Compensation Study. Ensuing discussion included the software used to assemble budget documents, but largely focused on assuring council that by the end of 2024 Greenbelt will have fully allocated or spent the $22.8 million it received from the federal government’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Gaymon declared her staff to be more than ready to provide whatever proof is needed.
Public Information
After listing a number of actions taken by the Public Information Office (PIO) to portray a positive image of the city,
Salmerón and council discussed more fully questions regarding recipients’ use of social media to obtain information about Greenbelt. About the 56 percent email opening rate, Councilmembers Kristen Weaver and Danielle McKinney wondered to what extent the 19,000+ recipients examine Greenbelt city emails. Councilmember Amy Knesel said that the number of recipients is likely to drop as the “Oh, wow” effect wears off. Councilmembers asked if Google Analytics or some other similar service might provide data illuminating these questions. They also asked about ads placed by the city in guides designed for tourists and placed in locations such as nearby hotels. These are questions the PIO might help answer.
Economic Development
Next, council turned to the city’s Economic Development Department, for which HR is interviewing the top five applicants for manager. Salmerón emphasized, however, that work continues in this area with, for example, a roundtable held recently at Greenbelt Cinema for small business owners. Other such gatherings are planned for hoteliers and other property owners.
Salmerón also noted that Greenbelt has provided seed funding for a Jobs and Workforce Center plus an Entrepreneur Lab with computers and other equipment that will, for example, allow users to hold job interviews online after it opens this month in Beltway Plaza. Jordan conveyed a sense of urgency regarding the city’s efforts to see that its commercial centers remain stable. Salmerón responded that because the demand for office space has dropped not only here but in general, Greenbelt needs to explore with realtors possible conversions of some buildings to mixed or residential spaces. Greenbelt also needs to further encourage more of the huge number of motorists passing through the city via thoroughfares such as Greenbelt Road and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway to stop and shop. Everyone recognized the need to hire a new development manager as quickly as possible.
Planning Department
Terri Hruby, director of Planning & Community Development, briefly listed her department’s many responsibilities, including to monitor the new Royal Farms gas station and store on Greenbelt Road (scheduled to open August 20), the LOL Child Care Center preparing to open in Beltway Plaza, a bikeway planned for Hanover Parkway, WSSC’s water tower rehabilitation project and the Bureau of Engraving & Printing Supplemental Environmental Assessment for constructing a U.S. currency printing plant on Beltsville Agricultural Research Center land. Jordan added the FBI building proposed for construction at the Greenbelt Metro station and the new path to be built between the station and the Greenbelt Station community. Hruby and council also discussed the responsibility of her office to inspect apartments and see that their buildings meet various standards. In response to resident Bill Orleans, Hruby stated that Greenbelt has collected $2,000 in fines from Royal Farms. Resident Claudia Jones expressed her wish to see the 22 acres of land purchased by the city between Greenbelt Metro and Greenbelt Station be used for recreation purposes rather than for building more condos and apartments.
Police Department
Jordan began the Police Department review by complimenting Chief Richard Bowers on the recent lively discussion with residents at Springhill Lake Recreation Center. Bowers went on to list other recent outreach efforts by the department such as walks around Greenbelt Lake and Greenbelt Station, a summer youth program at the police station and completion of an eight-week citizens police academy. Four contact shooting cases (where an individual is shot but does not die) during the fourth quarter were closed after investigations and arrests, Bowers added. The department has also ensured that at least one police officer trained in crisis management is available on every shift. Bowers also discussed efforts being made by the department to recruit and retain police officers. He explained that the department tries to employ at least 90 percent of the 53 officers it needs and hopes to send three new recruits to the next police academy beginning in November. It seeks to retain officers by providing career enhancement opportunities and by making officers feel that their voices matter and everyone has a place in the building. Bowers stated that new hiring incentives have been effective. He also confirmed that police SUVs include equipment to be used for medical emergencies and that license plate readers will be installed this fall at three sites in Greenbelt.
Recreation Department
Recreation Director Greg Varda reported first on plans to install locked stands for tablets in the lobbies of the Aquatic & Fitness Center, plus a TV screen that will display announcements in English and Spanish along with information often covered by staff that will significantly reduce the wait time for pool entry during the busy summer season. Varda also emphasized the department’s commitment to seeing that all participants in the city’s summer camps feel included. Questioned on plans to rehabilitate Braden Field and the soccer field at Schrom Hills Park, Varda explained that summer camps prevented the vendor under contract from starting once the school year ended and the work will require closing those fields for up to eight weeks after Labor Day. Knesel and McKinney expressed frustration about these delays and also those involving playgrounds at Buddy Attick Park and Springhill Lake. Varda reported no problems with preparations underway among city departments working together in advance of the Labor Day Festival.
Information Technology
Brian Kennell, assistant director of the city’s Information Technology department, summarized upgrades to the many internet services provided by the city to, for example, block spam and unite the cameras in city buildings and spaces, such as the two cameras with six views now in operation at Schrom Hills Park. Responding to a question from Orleans, Weaver noted additional ways technology companies can make Wi-Fi more broadly available within Greenbelt, which might be explored by council.
CARES
Liz Park, director of Greenbelt CARES youth and family services bureau, used her review to announce that CARES staff now has consolidated on the first floor of the Municipal Building. The Greenbelt Assistance in Living program (GAIL), a counseling service for seniors and residents of Greenbelt with special needs, will remain housed in the Community Center. These locations allow for privacy. At Green Ridge House and elsewhere in Greenbelt, CARES and GAIL strive to help seniors remain independent for as long as possible. CARES continued to coordinate services with the Police Department for residents in crisis and with mobile wellness vans for the Back-to-School Health Fair, which will take place on Tuesday, August 20, to offer students amenities such as backpacks and haircuts.
Grants
Finally, Salmerón began a discussion about grants by noting that in the fourth quarter the city received one grant for $105,000 and over $1 million during the fiscal year. Jordan noted the importance of the city having a grants coordinator, in this case Cary Eure. Eure attributed her success to working closely with department heads. Councilmember Jenni Pompi added that another grants coordinator had told her that adequate support staff and a strategic plan were crucial to seeking grant funding. McKinney wondered if Greenbelt residents with experience in writing grant proposals might help Greenbelt in this effort, to which Weaver replied that the city’s Advisory Committee on Environmental Sustainability and Green Team helped the city obtain a grant for its food scrap pickup service. Salmerón wondered if a volunteer coordinator might be called for. Jordan concluded by praising the efforts of council, city manager and department heads to summarize their activities and goals during the last quarter of Fiscal Year 2024.