Greenbelt City Council Regular Meeting – February 9, 2026

The Greenbelt City Council convened on Monday, February 9, 2026, at 7:30 p.m., adjourning at 11:32 p.m. The council addressed a substantial agenda, including approving the second year of the Axon contract ($141,382.88), allocating $5,000 to the Recreation Financial Assistance Fund, endorsing the COG DMVMoves funding proposal, and conducting an extensive review and modification of its Standing Rules.

Consent Calendar

• Resignation: Council accepted the resignation of Erica Hernandez from the Greenbelt Advisory Committee on Environmental Sustainability (Green ACES).
• Reports: Council accepted the Advisory Planning Board Report #2026-02 (Springhill Lake Elementary School Mandatory Referral), the Senior Citizens Advisory Committee Report, and the Board of Elections Post-Election Report #2026-01.
• Minutes: Approved minutes from multiple meetings between May 2025 and January 2026 (minutes for Sept 8, 15, and 24, 2025 were removed for correction before the vote).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Peggy Higgins (PSAC Chair): Expressed formal gratitude on behalf of the Public Safety Advisory Committee for the Council's consideration of its proposed name change to the Advisory Committee Advancing Public Safety (ACAPS).
• Owen Anderson (RCV Maryland): Provided a legislative update on several ranked choice voting bills (SB 0236, HB 0580, HB 1010) introduced in the state legislature, urging the Council to monitor their progress and submit letters of support.
• Resident (DMVMoves): Expressed opposition to endorsing the DMVMoves Funding Proposal, arguing it did not provide dedicated funding for WMATA and relied on annual appropriations.
• Residents (Standing Rules): During the extensive debate on standing rules, multiple residents (Jay Davis, Michael Hartman, Bob Rudd, Judd Orleans) voiced strong concerns that proposed changes (such as sign-in sheets and reduced public comment windows) would restrict public participation and diminish democratic processes. Jay Davis also expressed shock at the proposal to remove the Pledge of Allegiance.

Legislation

• COG DMVMoves Funding Proposal (2nd Reading): Mayor Pro Tem Weaver moved for second reading and adoption of a resolution endorsing the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments' DMVMoves transportation funding plan. The motion passed unanimously (7-0).
• PSAC Name Change (1st Reading): Councilmember Pope introduced a resolution for first reading to rename the Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) to the Advisory Committee Advancing Public Safety (ACAPS).

Other Business

• Axon Contract Renewal: Council authorized the City Manager to execute the Year 2 payment of $141,382.88 for a five-year agreement with Axon for police technology, including body cameras, in-car systems, and tasers. The motion passed unanimously (7-0).
• Recreation Financial Assistance Fund: Councilmember Pompi requested an allocation of $5,000 from the Council Grants Miscellaneous account to the Recreation Financial Assistance Fund. It was noted the fund was depleted to approximately $100 after fulfilling 42 requests. The motion passed unanimously (7-0). Council discussed the growing need and the importance of community partnerships for funding.
• Legislative Review: Council voted to formally support a package of 16 state and county bills, including HB0709 (Good Cause Eviction), HB0256 (Speed Monitoring Systems – Vulnerable Road User Protection Act), HB0254 (Supporting Inclusive Community Adaptation Act), and SB0010 (Speed Monitoring Systems). The motion passed unanimously (7-0).

Discussion and Modification of the Council's Standing Rules

Council debated and voted on an extensive set of amendments to its Standing Rules, representing the most substantial changes in recent years.

• Meeting Time Limit: Set at 2 hours, with council able to vote to extend in 30-minute segments (passed 5-2).
• Swearing-In Procedure: Adjusted so all council members are sworn in together before the Mayor is selected and sworn in (passed 7-0).
• Work Session Scheduling: Approved a motion for work sessions not to be scheduled during times council members have advisory board or committee meetings (passed 4-3).
• Council Debate: A limit was set allowing council members to speak twice per motion (no longer than 5 minutes each), with the option for council to vote to extend debate (passed 6-1).
• Pledge of Allegiance: The Greenbelt Community Pledge was formally added to the organization section of the agenda (passed 7-0). A proposal to remove the Pledge of Allegiance was discussed but no formal motion was made.
• Public Comment Sign-In: A text amendment regarding sign-in sheets for public comment was tabled until the next meeting.
• Conduct Outside Meetings: A new section establishing a process for investigating alleged misconduct by council members outside of public meetings was tabled until the next meeting.
• Council Packets: The default delivery method for council packets was changed from home delivery to email (passed 7-0).

Key Outcomes

• 7-0 Votes: Resolution endorsing DMVMoves, Axon contract Year 2 authorization, $5,000 allocation for recreation assistance, support for 16 legislative bills, and multiple standing rule amendments.
• Tabled Items: Public comment sign-in procedures and council member conduct outside of public meetings were tabled to a future meeting.
• Next Steps: City staff will prepare formal letters of support for time-sensitive state bills. The FY2027 budget process has officially commenced. Residents will be solicited for names of community members to receive public citations for their service during the recent snowstorm.