City Council Meeting Preview: May 10

The College Park City council will convene for its twice-monthly meeting on Tuesday at 8 p.m.

A public hearing on the Fiscal Year 2012 proposed budget will be held at 7:15 p.m., and a public hearing on proposed changed to election rules will be held at 7:45 p.m.

Meetings and worksessions are held in the Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall, located at 4500 Knox Rd.

Public Hearing on the FY 2012 Budget

One of the big sticking points for residents in the FY 2012 budget is the city's plan to . The public hearing, to be held at 7:15 p.m., will give residents the opportunity to voice their opinions on this and any other budget items they find controversial.

Public Hearing on Proposed Changes to City Election Rules

The city's Board of Election Commissioners recommended a number of changes following the 2009 city elections. The current proposal would:

 1) allow a business entity to influence election results by independently promoting or opposing candidates;

2) require that campaign e-mails, robocalls and other types of electronic communications indicate who has paid for the message or provide a link to a site that says who paid for the message;

3) establish a time limit for campaign signs in the city right-of-way from between 45 days before an election to 48 hours after an election.

The public is invited to share opinions on these changes at 7:45 p.m.

Resolution Expressing Interest in Pursuing Negotiations with AT&T for the Monopole in Sunnyside

A presentation was made by AT&T at last week's council worksession regarding the possibility of erecting a monopole in the Sunnyside area. The council had additional questions for AT&T before moving forward with the plan -- namely, more data to determine the need for increased coverage in the area, and more specific information on what a "stealth design" (in other words, disguising the pole as a tree) would look like.

However, Councilman John Perry (Dist. 2), wants the council to take an official position before these questions are answered, and thus added it to Tuesday's agenda. Most councilmembers saw little purpose in adding the proposal to the agenda at this time, and therefore it is unlikely to pass.

Consideration of an Ordinance Granting Certain Zoning Powers to the City

This ordinance would grant the city certain zoning authority that currently rests with the county. If the ordinance passes, the city will assume the power to make minor changes to approved special exceptions, alternative compliance from landscaping requirements and certification, revocation and revision of nonconforming uses.

Distribution of Community Service Grants

At last week's worksession, the council reallocated the $15,000 budgeted for local community service organizations in order to provide additional funding to the College Park Woods Swim Club for a senior day camp. The council will vote on Tuesday to distribute the funds as follows:

Hollywood Elementary School for family instructional nights - $1,800 (of $2,100 requested)

Paint Branch Elementary School for student attendance at educational summit in Tianjin, China - $1,800 (of $1,950 requested)

National Museum of Language for exhibit improvement and development - $1,900 (of $2,500 requested)

Lakeland Community Heritage Project for Lakeland Heritage Weekend - $2,200 (of $2,500 requested)

American Legion Auxiliary for scholarships for Miss College Park pageant - $1,000 (of $2,500 requested)

Pregnancy Aid Centers, Inc. for food pantry program - $2,300 (of $2,500 requested)

Boy Scout Troop 298 for leadership education for young men - $1,000 (of $2,500 requested)

Cub Scout Pack 298 for cub scout program - $1,000 (of $2,500 requested)

College Park Woods Swim Club for a senior summer day camp - $1,000 (of $1,000 requested)

Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital Service Unit 23-5 for a community garden in North College Park - $1,000 (of $2,000 requested)

Emergency Ordinance on Mobile Vendors

Recently, a textbook purchasing company called PennText expressed interest to the city council in establishing a mobile textbook buy-back operation in the parking lot on College Avenue, squarely between the Maryland Book Exchange and BookHolders.

Though the city stipulates that mobile vendors must obtain a permit in order to sell goods, there are no established regulations for vendors that buy goods. Though the owner of PennText approached the city council with the argument that his company will only breed healthy competition, some members of the council feel that a rent-free mobile vendor would have an unfair advantage over the brick and mortar businesses in the area.

The council will vote on whether it wants to pass an emergency ordinance extending the definition of "mobile vendors" to include businesses that buy goods, meaning PennText would have to obtain the city's permission before setting up shop.