OpenPublica

Accountability starts with access.

© 2026 · Filed for the public record

Use casesAboutAPIPrivacyTermsLinkedIn
Home/Greenbelt, Maryland/City Council
OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Greenbelt City Council Regular Meeting - March 9, 2026

City Council — Monday, March 9, 2026
BodyGreenbelt, Maryland
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, March 9, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
Meeting Thumbnail
⇩ GET FROM SOURCE

STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE

Original source
Transcript — Verbatim

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Unassigned speaker

0:15

I

Speaker 1

0:15

call this meeting of the Greenbelt City Council to order.

0:17

Madam Clerk, will you call the role, please?

Speaker 2

0:20

Councilmember Fritz.

Speaker 1

0:22

Present.

Speaker 2

0:23

Councilmember Niesel?

0:25

Here.

0:25

Councilmember McKinney?

0:27

Here.

0:27

Councilmember Pompey?

Unassigned speaker

0:29

Here.

Speaker 2

0:30

Councilmember Pope.

0:31

Here.

0:32

Mayor Pro Tem Weaver.

Speaker 1

0:33

Here.

Speaker 2

0:34

Mayor Jordan.

Speaker 1

0:35

I'm

Unassigned speaker

0:36

here.

Speaker 1

0:37

Councilmember McKinney, will you uh lead us in the pledge, please?

Speaker 3

0:45

I'll believe it to the flag of the United States of America.

Unassigned speaker

0:50

And

Speaker 3

0:50

to the Republic for which it seems one nation.

Speaker 1

1:01

And Councilmember Niesel, will you uh share the community pledge?

Unassigned speaker

1:06

I would like to The

Speaker 4

1:21

strength of Greenbelt is diverse people living together in a spirit of cooperation.

1:26

We celebrate all people by sharing together, all are enriched.

1:30

We strive to be respectful, welcoming community that is open, accessible, safe, and fair.

Speaker 1

1:39

Well, thank you very much.

1:43

So at this time, please join us in a moment of silent reflection as we pause to remember residents and others who have passed away since the last council meeting.

1:54

And uh we've

Unassigned speaker

1:55

got

Speaker 1

1:56

uh a former resident Anne Louise McCord Curante.

2:01

Uh please join us in a moment of silent reflection.

2:18

Thank you.

2:18

Thank

Unassigned speaker

2:19

you.

Speaker 1

2:20

So uh let me just say this.

2:21

We hold council meetings two times a month, except for August and December on Mondays to set policy and to take formal actions.

Unassigned speaker

2:28

Uh

Speaker 1

2:28

tonight's session is open to the public, as are all council sessions and meetings except for executive sessions as authorized by state law.

2:35

Residents can observe our deliberations and we'll pause periodically to provide opportunities for public comment.

2:41

If you wish to speak during those times, if you're here in person, just raise your hand and after being recognized, you can go to the podium.

2:47

You'll need to uh state your name and uh where you live.

2:51

Uh we need that for the minutes.

2:52

And also, if you are here, we're we're starting a new practice.

2:55

And if you are here and you want to uh do a petition, we we'd like to ask you to actually sign in uh at uh the sheet that's on the table so that we can have a record of who's here to do that.

3:06

So if you're in person, just raise your hand.

3:08

If you're on Zoom, use the QA tab at the bottom of the screen.

3:12

You can submit a written question, or you can raise your virtual hand.

3:15

And once again, uh we will uh promote you so that you can speak.

3:19

Don't take anonymous comments though.

3:21

And if you're watching remotely, uh you can send an email comment to us.

3:24

Uh the email address is questions at Greenbelt MD.gov.

3:29

So during the meeting, please limit your remarks to three minutes, and it's five minutes during petitions and requests.

3:36

And just speak on uh one topic, uh the topic that's under consideration during the meeting.

3:41

And as always, we ask you to remain civil and avoid disparaging the uh comments, questioning the motives of others.

3:48

So at this time, are there any petitions or requests?

3:54

Please.

Unassigned speaker

3:59

Hi,

Speaker 5

4:00

my name is Christine Wilkin.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural██████████████████████████████████34%
Public Engagement████████████████16%
Zoning And Land Use████████████12%
Technology and Innovation███████7%
Fiscal Sustainability█████5%
Environmental Protection████4%
Transportation Safety████4%
Arts And Culture███3%
Historic Preservation███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Greenbelt City Council Regular Meeting - March 9, 2026

The Greenbelt City Council held a regular meeting on March 9, 2026, at 7:30 PM. The meeting included approval of the consent agenda, presentations, administrative reports, legislative actions on annexation and state support, discussions on council standing rules, review of state and county bills, and a closed session.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved minutes from eight prior meetings (Work Sessions: Feb 21, 2024; Jan 5, 2026; Jan 7, 2026; Feb 2, 2026; Feb 4, 2026; Regular Meetings: Jan 28, 2026; Feb 9, 2026; Interviews: Feb 18, 2026).
  • Appointed Charlotte Fritts to the Park and Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB).
  • Accepted resignations of Dea Zugby from the Community Relations Advisory Board (CRAB) and Larry Hilliard from the Greenbelt Advisory Committee on Environmental Sustainability (Green ACES).
  • Accepted no committee reports.
  • Authorized the City Manager to execute a contract with RTA. (Note: Resident Bill Orleans requested this item be pulled for discussion, but the consent agenda was approved unanimously 7-0 without removal.)

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Christine Wilkin (Greenbelt Resistance Network) raised concerns about security camera data collection and access, requesting transparency and answers to 11 questions submitted in a letter. The council referred the matter to the city manager for investigation.
  • Bill Orleans requested more information about closed sessions regarding annexation and questioned the RTA contract details, urging council to pull it from the consent agenda. He also objected to a proposed sign-in requirement for public comment.
  • Lore Rosenthal emphasized the importance of detailed responses to the Greenbelt Resistance Network’s questions and suggested designating a specific person to answer.

Discussion Items

  • Women's History Month Proclamation: Mayor Jordan declared March 2026 as Women's History Month with the theme “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future.” Councilmembers accepted the proclamation and shared historical notes on Greenbelt’s first female councilmember (Ruth Taylor, 1938) and mayor (Elizabeth Harrington, 1949).
  • Administrative Report (City Manager Josué Salmerón):
    • Announced receipt of $1,804,969 in federal grants: $250,000 for Springhill Lake Recreation Center expansion and $1.5 million for youth center roof replacement.
    • Reported the FY 2027 balanced budget is on track for presentation March 23; the Council Meet and Greet had 25 participants.
    • Construction of EV charging stations began; target completion by June 30 to qualify for a federal tax credit.
    • GIS mapping planning with ESRI underway; partnership with Senator Washington for a Pet Resource Fair.
    • Councilmember Knesel raised concerns about eviction notifications; staff noted only two property managers have provided notices, and enforcement is complaint-based.
  • Legislation – Annexation of BARC/NASA Area 3: Council discussed and voted 7-0 to adopt the resolution annexing 1,196 acres of federal land (including NASA Goddard and part of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center) into Greenbelt’s city limits. This is the first boundary expansion in many years. Two related annexation items (Areas 1 and 2) were removed from the agenda for further discussion and public education. The resolution will take effect after a 45-day state-mandated waiting period.
  • Legislation – Support for HB 1142 / SB (Task Force to Modernize Revenue Sources): Council voted 7-0 to adopt a resolution in support of state legislation establishing a task force to modernize county and municipal revenue sources. The resolution passed on first reading with suspension of rules and then on second reading, given urgency due to approaching crossover deadline.
  • Council Standing Rules: Council reviewed remaining proposed amendments:
    • Adopted (7-0) a sign-in/comment card process for public comment at regular meetings (may sign in, not shall). The process will be optional during work sessions and public hearings.
    • Withdrew a proposed amendment on councilmember behavior outside meetings (Section VI, Subsection 9) due to need for clearer definition of “unbecoming behavior.”
    • Defeated (3-4) a proposal to allow most resolutions to be adopted on first reading; Councilmembers Fritz, McKinney, Pope, and Mayor Jordan voted no. The current two-read requirement (with supermajority to suspend) remains.
  • Legislative Review: Council approved letters of support for the following bills (all votes 7-0 unless noted):
    • Federal: H.R. 7437 (BASICS Act) – streamline federal transportation funding to local projects.
    • State:
      • HB1066/SB0727 – authorize qualified electronic transmission systems for municipal elections.
      • SB0023/HB0695 (GREEN Loan Program) – establish no-interest energy efficiency loans for nonprofits.
      • SB0281/HB0386 (Metro Funding Modification Act) – modify Metro funding mechanisms to protect collective bargaining and jobs.
      • HB0711/SB0504 (Data Privacy Act) – restrict sale of personal data for immigration enforcement.
      • HB1575/SB0791 (Community Trust Act) – prohibit state and local law enforcement from assisting in immigration enforcement, aligning with Greenbelt’s own ordinance.
    • County:
      • CR-014-2026 – support for Prince George’s County Streamlining Development Review Workgroup.
      • CR-005-2026 – support for Common Ownership Communities Summary update to improve transparency.
    • Councilmember Fritz requested staff track HB0350/SB0255 (Voting Rights Act of 2026) for potential impact on municipal elections.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved (7-0): Consent agenda (minutes, appointments, resignations, RTA contract).
  • Approved (7-0): Annexation of BARC/NASA Area 3 (1,196 acres).
  • Approved (7-0): Resolution supporting HB 1142 / SB (Task Force to Modernize Revenue Sources).
  • Adopted (7-0): New comment card/sign-in procedure for public comment at regular meetings.
  • Withdrawn: Proposed amendment on councilmember behavior outside meetings.
  • Failed (3-4): Amendment to allow adoption of most resolutions on first reading.
  • Approved (7-0): Letters of support for eight state, federal, and county bills as listed above.
  • Referred: Security camera concerns to city manager for investigation and response.
  • Closed Session: Council moved into closed session at 9:46 PM to discuss personnel matters, legal advice, and potential litigation. No return to open session.

Note: The meeting agenda listed three annexation resolutions; items for Areas 1 and 2 were removed for further discussion.

Meeting Transcript

I call this meeting of the Greenbelt City Council to order. Madam Clerk, will you call the role, please? Councilmember Fritz. Present. Councilmember Niesel? Here. Councilmember McKinney? Here. Councilmember Pompey? Here. Councilmember Pope. Here. Mayor Pro Tem Weaver. Here. Mayor Jordan. I'm here. Councilmember McKinney, will you uh lead us in the pledge, please? I'll believe it to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it seems one nation. And Councilmember Niesel, will you uh share the community pledge? I would like to The strength of Greenbelt is diverse people living together in a spirit of cooperation. We celebrate all people by sharing together, all are enriched. We strive to be respectful, welcoming community that is open, accessible, safe, and fair. Well, thank you very much. So at this time, please join us in a moment of silent reflection as we pause to remember residents and others who have passed away since the last council meeting. And uh we've got uh a former resident Anne Louise McCord Curante. Uh please join us in a moment of silent reflection. Thank you. Thank you. So uh let me just say this. We hold council meetings two times a month, except for August and December on Mondays to set policy and to take formal actions. Uh tonight's session is open to the public, as are all council sessions and meetings except for executive sessions as authorized by state law. Residents can observe our deliberations and we'll pause periodically to provide opportunities for public comment. If you wish to speak during those times, if you're here in person, just raise your hand and after being recognized, you can go to the podium. You'll need to uh state your name and uh where you live. Uh we need that for the minutes. And also, if you are here, we're we're starting a new practice. And if you are here and you want to uh do a petition, we we'd like to ask you to actually sign in uh at uh the sheet that's on the table so that we can have a record of who's here to do that. So if you're in person, just raise your hand. If you're on Zoom, use the QA tab at the bottom of the screen. You can submit a written question, or you can raise your virtual hand. And once again, uh we will uh promote you so that you can speak.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com