Greenbelt · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Greenbelt, MD public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Police accreditation and AED program
Police completed a three-year assessment at the gold standard of policing. Two AED saves by officers this quarter — one cardiac arrest, one severe bleeding — show the city's AED investment is working.
Recodification of the Greenbelt City Code
Staff expects the recodified city code within 30 days. The council agreed to accept it as-is — even with known outdated provisions like bike registration fees — so it can go online in a searchable format sooner, with fixes to follow.
Streetlights and PEPCO LED conversion
The city has been trying to buy its streetlights from PEPCO and convert to LED for years. The city is now $113,000 in arrears on the bill as leverage, and council agreed to write a letter to the Public Utility Commission to force PEPCO to act.
Delinquent waste collection accounts and tax liens
After a pause during COVID, the city is placing tax liens on properties with unpaid waste collection bills — homeowners then pay through their county property tax bill. A resident asked how the process works.
Proposed EV charging stations at Buddy Attick Park
The city's electric trash truck arrives in September, and all eight EV charging ports at the Community Center/Library lot have been tested and work. Staff may limit public-facing ports to four to save money.
Regional emergency alert system funding loss
Federal funding for the region's Everbridge emergency alert system is gone, so municipalities are now paying for it. Greenbelt plans to keep it and get more value out of it — possibly saving $10,000 by switching service tiers.
Improved constituent issue tracking system
Resident complaints are tracked in a basic SharePoint list, and Council Member Knesel wants to fund a real 311-style tracking system so issues get routed, tracked, and resolved faster.
Springhill Lake Recreation Center Expansion Funding
Council approved a state funding request of $2.7 million for the long-planned Springhill Lake rec center expansion, with Greenbelt contributing a $300,000 match. The project has been in planning for over 20 years.
Street Sweeper Replacement Engine Purchase
The city's street sweeper broke down, and staff sought authorization to buy a replacement engine and parts for up to $16,054.52 to get it back in service.
Bradford Pear Replacement Plan — Phase 4
A resident asked the city to plant willow oaks on the Greenbelt Road medians near Beltway Plaza, noting State Highway's poor mowing and comparing favorably to Montgomery County's tree-lined medians. Councilmember Pope noted Route 193 streetscaping is tied to a legislative priority.
Save-As-You-Throw (SAYT) Program Fees
Trash fee decisions loom. The proposed 2027 base rate dropped from $2.60 to $2.40, which Councilmember Knesel says puts the whole financial burden on families. Expect a resolution at the next meeting with new financial scenarios.
Community Visioning and Public Development Working Group
Council stood up a new working group to shape a big-picture community vision — covering annexations, the armory, and other major properties — after a spat over whether to bundle in economic development. Economic development gets its own effort later.
Greenbelt Cinema subsidy and stabilization
The historic cinema gets a $94,622 digital marquee — safer than staff climbing ladders to change letters — paid for entirely with bond bill money. But council declined a separate $350 request to sponsor October Classics programming.
City Community Pledge Repeal and Reenactment
Council was scheduled to adopt a resolution repealing and reenacting the City Community Pledge, first introduced by Councilmember Fritz.
Bond bill and legislative priorities for 2027
Council's top state priorities are data center guardrails, municipal zoning authority, and fiscal capacity; top bond projects are Pepco street light upgrades, wayfinding, and Indian Creek Park. These go to Annapolis with District 22 municipalities.
Cherrywood Lane Bus Stop and Sidewalk Gap
A $231,000 CDBG grant will resurface Cherrywood Lane, but the money can't fund the long-planned green/complete street design. Staff said the Vision Zero plan must be finished first to unlock bigger grants for engineering.
Beltway Plaza Redevelopment and Office Vacancies
With Bazeudo leaving for Howard County and the DMV overbuilt on office space, council debated incentives — tax deferrals, TIF deals — to attract tenants and restart stalled Beltway Plaza redevelopment plans of up to 2,500 housing units.
Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Consulting Services RFP
Greenbelt is moving from isolated DEI programs to a citywide effort and plans to hire a consultant to assess where it stands, define roles, and set measurable goals. Council wants the work to measure both internal culture and community impact, and is considering a resident advisory committee on DEI and accessibility.
Ownership of Former Greenbelt High School Building (Springhill Lake Elementary)
Council introduced a resolution stating the city wants to buy the Springhill Lake Elementary building — the historic 1938 Greenbelt High School — once the county decommissions it. The new right-of-first-refusal resolution could help, though school surplus rules differ.
Maryland FAMLI — State vs. Private Plan Options
The city enrolled in the state's family leave insurance program after private alternatives fell through. Employees will see a payroll contribution; Councilmembers Knesel and McKinney want affected employees to have input on the final choice.
Curbside composting subsidy and incentives
Council agreed to accept a written report on the compost/food scraps program in lieu of a presentation at the October 19 Save As You Throw work session; Green Aces may seek funding incentives next budget cycle.
Citywide trash collection and private hauling concerns
A resident of 21 years described leaf piles left uncollected for five weeks, garbage uncollected in 90-degree heat, and an ethics complaint dismissed without explanation — and demanded written policies by October 20.
WAMADA bus fares and student transit safety
Youth advisory feedback says students are being charged on buses despite expectations of free rides, and bus stops on Cherrywood feel unsafe after dark. Council wants to raise this with WAMADA and possibly the county.
Right of first refusal on surplus County property
A resolution coming Monday asserts the city's right of first refusal on surplus county property — including the historic Greenbelt High School building — prompting a debate about the Historic Preservation Commission's role.
Temporary working groups (subcommittees)
Council created three new working groups and tabled a fourth. Longtime resident Bill Orleans argued small-group meetings shut the public out of council deliberations; Fritz defended the practice as compliant with the Open Meetings Act.
BARC Research Road
A draft letter to Congressman Ivey concerned BARC Research Road, an issue of local federal property access.
District 2 Board of Education vacancy
A draft letter to County Executive Braveboy would address the District 2 Board of Education vacancy and related public information concerns.
Automated stop sign enforcement program
Six months in, stop-sign violations are down 37%, from about 22,200 to 14,000 per week. Council discussed making the report public and a resident suggested a community meeting to explain how citations are issued.
Ranked choice voting next steps
Council moved forward with drafting a charter amendment adding ranked choice voting, as voters backed in a 2025 referendum. Pope wants a test run and cost analysis first; the election is about a year away.
Ranked-choice voting implementation
The Board is finalizing draft legislation to make ranked-choice voting real, using simple rules from Cambridge, MA with a 12.5% threshold instead of the current 40%. Expect a draft soon, education campaigns in late 2026, and voter outreach in early 2027.
Fire Station Staffing Falls Short of 24-Hour EMS
The new staffing plan brings career firefighters back to the Greenbelt station weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting October 4 — but still no 24/7 paramedic coverage. Council and the city manager say they'll keep pushing; the bottleneck is the fire academy's capacity and long EMT certification timelines.
LGBTQIA+ History Month recognition
A resolution recognizing LGBTQIA+ History Month was scheduled for introduction and possible adoption.
Greenbelt Post Office service concerns
A draft letter to Congressman Glenn Ivey would ask for help fixing ongoing service problems at the Greenbelt Post Office that have frustrated residents.
Mail-in ballot options
Should every registered voter automatically get a ballot? Board data shows it would roughly 2.5x mailing costs (~$39,500 vs ~$14,600), but members pointed to Hyattsville doubling turnout and an 85% return rate among people who request ballots. Decision deferred to budget season.
Ranked choice voting implementation for 2027 election
Greenbelt voters backed RCV in an advisory question, and the Board of Elections has drafted charter and code amendments to make it real for November 2027. Big open questions: how many rankings to allow, what happens if not enough candidates hit the 12.5% threshold, and how fast results can be certified.
Bond Bill and Federal Earmark Projects
Indian Creek Park, PEPCO streetlight LED conversions, Armory demolition, and citywide wayfinding top the draft bond bill list. Staff will survey council to rank projects before submitting requests.
Economic development and redevelopment strategy
The city is considering pursuing a $1 million demolition grant from DHCD for the Armory site. Mayor Jordan wants more public engagement before this significant decision moves forward.
State Transportation Priorities and Delayed 495 Interchange
Council wants to protect Greenbelt Metro interchange funding, push for restoring Route 193 improvements, and oppose the Transurban Beltway expansion — while coordinating with WMATA on Metro-area redevelopment.
Data center regulation
Council is shrinking its legislative list to three or four top asks for District 22. Data centers drew particular concern — members want statewide regulation, not piecemeal local rules, citing water and energy strain in a state that isn't energy-independent.
Greenbelt Armory redevelopment
The city-owned Armory site is Greenbelt's marquee redevelopment opportunity — demolition funding has been applied for, and staff is drafting an RFP for mixed-use development. Residents questioned whether the plan honors earlier calls for public/civic uses over heavy commercial development.
County Funding for Greenbelt Priorities
County Council Member Tim Adams announced more than $1.65 million secured in the FY2027 county budget for Greenbelt — parks, museum, lighting, and aquatic center maintenance.
Community questionnaire and town hall
The every-two-years election-day questionnaire may get replaced with a shorter, mostly digital, annual survey timed to the budget cycle. CRAB will draft essential questions by early spring 2027.
Multilingual welcome signs
CRAB's 2024 plan for static welcome signs in up to 10 languages at Buddy Attick and Schrom Hills parks may be replaced by digital corridor signs and park kiosks. Council wants costs, better language data, and coordination with the city's existing wayfinding study before committing.
Proactive community engagement strategies
CRAB floated ideas for reaching residents who don't attend traditional meetings: multilingual outreach, partnerships with schools and faith groups, pop-up feedback at events, online input, youth engagement, and telling residents how their feedback was used. Council was asked to set priorities for the year.
New MARC Camden Line service bypassing DC
MARC launched a twice-daily Frederick-to-Baltimore route bypassing Union Station, saving 20–40 minutes. Council hopes a Greenbelt stop could be added if it's popular.
PGCMLS Story Walk Removal
The library system's story walk was a temporary demo, and the Parks and Rec Advisory Board recommends removing it. Council sent the question to two more advisory boards with reports due by end of May.
WSSC water restriction lifted
WSSC lifted its water-use restriction at 5 p.m. — no boil order or rationing — with an update call scheduled for the next day.
Budget Process and Finance Working Group
A proposed council finance working group was tabled to Wednesday, with the city manager warning next year's budget faces a $700,000 adjustment for an under-budgeted abatement expense.
Rental housing inspections and new air conditioning law
Councilmember Pompi flagged a new state law requiring buildings with 10+ rental units to provide air conditioning keeping units at 80°F or below June through September. Code enforcement confirmed the city is already enforcing it.
FY 2027 balanced budget and $3 million deficit closed
The council finalized next year's city budget, raising revenue by about $261,000 and setting property, personal property, and utility tax rates for FY 2027. Most changes passed unanimously, but the FOGT subsidy and non-departmental spending split the council.