Greenbelt City Council Regular Meeting – February 23, 2026

The Greenbelt City Council held a regular meeting on Monday, February 23, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 25 Crescent Road, Greenbelt, MD. Mayor Emmett V. Jordan presided. Councilmembers Frankie Santos Fritz, Amy E. Knesel, Danielle P. McKinney, Jenni A. Pompi, and Silke I. Pope were present; Mayor Pro Tem Kristen L.K. Weaver was absent due to travel. The meeting lasted until 10:42 p.m. and covered a wide range of topics, including approval of minutes and appointments, proclamations, a committee name change, flood resiliency planning, school reconstruction, transportation planning, collective bargaining policy, and state/county legislation.

Consent Calendar

• Councils approved minutes of five meetings from 2025: Work Session May 7, Regular Meeting September 8, Work Session September 15, Regular Meeting September 24, and Work Session October 29, all as presented.
• Appointments confirmed: Michael Hartman, Edith Beauchamp, and Kathleen Collin to the Board of Elections; Amy Rappole to the Green Team.
• Councilmember Pompi moved to remove the meeting list from the Consent Agenda and add it as Item 18 for separate discussion; motion passed 6–0.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Bill Orleans, a Greenbelt resident, requested a written explanation for why the public was excluded from the Administrative Session following the Advisory Board/Committee interviews on February 18. The Mayor stated that all petitions are logged and will be responded to in writing.
• Anonymous resident (via Mayor Jordan) asked that the Council recognize February 19 as Japanese American Day of Remembrance; Councilmember Fritz emphasized the continuing legal precedent of Korematsu and the importance of remembering history.
• During the collective bargaining discussion, Mr. Learman (resident) stated that public works employees strongly support multiple bargaining units so they can form a unit. Mr. Orleans (resident) argued that part-time employees should be included and that multiple units could be represented by the same union, cautioning against a fragmented structure.

Discussion Items

1. Proclamations and Recognitions

• American Heart Health Month: Mayor Jordan read a proclamation declaring February 2026 as American Heart Health Month in Greenbelt, emphasizing cardiovascular health.
• Greenbelt Middle School Essay Contest Winners: The Council recognized first-place winner Lisa-Bell Tagne, second-place Geo Robles, and third-place Nathanbryel Fomo for their essays on Black History. Assistant Principal Camille Butler and Rotary President Jennifer Dudley praised the contest and announced it will become an annual event. Dr. Rosato (online) congratulated families.
• District 4 County Councilmember Timothy Adams (former Mayor of Bowie) spoke via video, committing to collaboration on public safety, economic development, and environmental preservation. Councilmember Fritz requested his help to finally install a Capital Bikeshare station at the Greenbelt Metro, delayed since 2024. Adams welcomed the task.

2. Statement of Record – Closed Session February 11, 2026

Councilmember Pompi moved to approve the statement noting the closed session (9:46 p.m., Council Chambers) to discuss personnel, consult legal counsel, and pending litigation. Roll call: 6–0 in favor (Weaver absent). Adopted.

3. Administrative Report – City Manager Josué Salmerón

• Snow preparations: a potential 33-inch storm yielded only 2–4 inches; roads were cleared by morning.
• Upcoming: Meeting with federal delegation on March 4 to celebrate $1.8M in earmarks ($1.5M for youth center roof replacement, $250K for Springhill Lake Recreation Center expansion).
• Town hall with Verizon and T-Mobile on March 10 regarding cell coverage.
• Balanced budget will be presented to Council on March 23.

4. Resolution to Rename Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) to Advisory Committee Advancing Public Safety (ACAPS) – 2nd Reading & Adoption

The resolution was requested by the committee to better reflect its proactive, cooperative mission. Committee representatives Steve Mersky and Peggy Higgins explained the new acronym (ACAPS) connotes protection, warmth, and respect. The motion passed 6–0.

5. LimnoTech Project Update – Community Flood Resiliency Plan

• Environmental Coordinator Kevin Carpenter-Driscoll introduced LimnoTech experts Anuk Savannah and Brad Uvardi, who presented results for Central Greenbelt, the area with most severe flooding reports.
• Modeling: Focused on interior flooding (undersized pipes, overwhelmed inlets) and riverine flooding from Indian Creek. Two major storm events analyzed: July 19, 2024 (~3 inches in 2 hours, equivalent to a 5-year storm but with higher intensity) and July 31, 2024.
• Key findings: At Lakeside and Westway, water cannot enter drains; adding inlet capacity helps but pushes problems downstream. At the Rec Center area, pipes are over capacity; adding rain gardens (several hundred thousand gallons) and upsizing pipes could help, but downstream flooding remains. Riverine flooding from Indian Creek could impact buildings near Edmondson Road (14 buildings in a 500-year event).
• Next steps: Develop mitigation strategies (combination of green and gray infrastructure) and produce a flood resiliency plan by late March/April. The council discussed the need for partnership with the county and the importance of coordinating with neighboring Berwyn Heights, as water flows into their area. Lake dredging was noted as insufficient without addressing conveyance bottlenecks.

6. Mandatory Referral MRF-2023-012 – Springhill Lake Elementary School Reconstruction

• Community Planner Ryan Sigworth presented staff’s concerns: The proposed school will increase capacity from current enrollment (766) to 850, while already approved housing (primarily Beltway Plaza: 2,500 multifamily units) would generate an estimated 343 new elementary students using PGCPS’s 2024 pupil yield factor (0.156 per multifamily unit). The school would be over capacity even before opening.
• Traffic/pedestrian safety: Staff raised concerns about the bus loop potentially overflowing onto Springhill Drive (handles 4–6 buses; currently served by 4 routes). Crosswalk upgrades to raised crosswalks were supported.
• Councilmembers expressed frustration that earlier meetings with PGCPS had not resulted in a larger capacity. Councilmember Pope noted the school will be a P3 (public-private partnership) with a 30-year contract, but deferred maintenance at PGCPS totals $8 billion. Councilmember Fritz voiced skepticism about P3 models. Councilmember McKinney asked about interior programming and whether it meets future educational needs.
• Motion: To transmit a letter to M-NCPPC with comments and request a work session with PGCPS to discuss long-term capacity planning. The motion passed 6–0 after a friendly amendment to include a request for details on student-centered design.

7. Go! Prince George's Countywide Master Plan of Transportation – City Comments

• Sigworth reviewed staff’s draft letter: supports shared-use paths along Route 193 and Edmonston Road; opposes widening of Ivy Lane and extension of Braybrook Drive and Mandan. Staff added new proactive entries for Hanover Parkway and Mandan north of 193 to create a complete loop and position the city for future grants.
• Council discussed the outdated Greenbelt Sector Plan; staff will add a sentence urging an updated sector plan. Mayor Jordan proposed mentioning bus rapid transit from MARC to Greenbelt Metro; staff agreed to attempt to include a brief reference. The motion to transmit the letter as amended passed 6–0.

8. Council Policy Discussion on Collective Bargaining – Code and Charter Amendments

• City Manager Salmerón asked Council to provide direction on three policy questions to guide legal drafting:
  1. Single or multiple bargaining units? Most councilmembers favored multiple units: one for public works (the original petitioner, represented by LIUNA) and at least one for general government employees. Councilmember Fritz suggested a mechanism for workers themselves to choose communities of interest via a neutral third party, similar to the NLRB model.
  2. Include part-time employees? Opinions were split. Councilmembers Fritz and Knesel advocated including part-timers with clear definitions; Councilmembers Pope, McKinney, and Pompi leaned toward including them but noted administrative complexity (e.g., seasonal staff doubling to 200+ in summer). City Manager noted a state audit may require pension contributions for those working 500+ hours/year. A majority of the five present councilmembers seemed to favor inclusion but with definitions to be refined.
  3. Who determines final bargaining units – Council or a neutral third party? Five of six present councilmembers supported delegating this to a neutral third party (e.g., a public employee relations board) to avoid litigation and streamline the process. Mayor Jordan agreed with the third-party approach.
• The City Manager summarized: direction toward multiple bargaining units, majority support for part-time inclusion (with details to be worked out), and strong support for third-party determination. A work session is scheduled for March 2 to finalize charter and code language.

9. Legislative Review – State and County Bills

• HB0950 – Street Lighting Investment Act: Allows municipalities to purchase streetlights and convert to LED. Motion to support passed 6–0.
• HB1223 – Farmers Markets – Street Food Vending Zones (PG 411-26): Council chose to monitor/track; concerns about impact on the curated Greenbelt Farmers Market and brick-and-mortar vendors.
• HB1227 – Crosswalk Monitoring Systems in School Zones (PG 323-26): Creates a 5-year pilot with $40 fines for failing to yield. Motion to support passed 6–0.
• HB1142 – Task Force to Modernize County-Municipal Revenue Structures: Already supported via emergency letter; council confirmed support. Councilmember Fritz connected this to broader wealth inequality conversations.

10. Council Reports and Activities

• Mayor Pro Tem Weaver (absent) submitted reports on Transportation Planning Board, NLC TIS, and Sustainable Maryland Executive Committee meetings.
• Councilmembers reported attending various events: Scout Troop 214 Chili Supper, Greenbelt Black History & Culture Committee program, City Stars jump rope performance, Valentine’s Day card-making at the Rec Department, and a visit to NASA Goddard. Councilmember Pompi noted an upcoming data center forum.
• Councilmember McKinney requested holding a future work session outside of Center City to improve accessibility; suggestions included Springhill Lake Recreation Center, Schrom Hills Park, or Greenbrier. Mayor Jordan agreed but noted streaming limitations in other venues.

11. Meeting List Adoption

• The Council adopted the amended meeting list, which added two special meetings/closed sessions on personnel matters (March 9 and March 11) and postponed the Board of Elections work session. A closed session was also added after the May 4 Budget Work Session with Green Ridge House. The motion passed 6–0.

Key Outcomes

• Appointments confirmed to the Board of Elections and Green Team (Consent Agenda).
• Resolution passed (6–0) to rename Public Safety Advisory Committee to Advisory Committee Advancing Public Safety (ACAPS).
• Letter transmitted (6–0) to M-NCPPC with comments on the Springhill Lake Elementary School reconstruction, including a request for a work session on school capacity planning.
• Letter transmitted (6–0) to M-NCPPC with comments on the Go! Prince George's Master Plan of Transportation, with amendments to address sector plan updates and mention of bus rapid transit.
• Council provided policy direction for collective bargaining: multiple bargaining units expected; part-time employees likely included (further definition needed); neutral third party to determine final units. Work session set for March 2.
• Legislative positions adopted: Support for HB0950 and HB1227; monitor HB1223; support already submitted for HB1142.
• Meeting approved (6–0) and meeting adjourned at 10:42 p.m.