Greenbelt City Council Regular Meeting - May 26, 2026

On May 26, 2026, the Greenbelt City Council held its regular meeting from 7:30 p.m. to 10:01 p.m. The meeting featured the adoption of the FY2027 budget, three proclamations, public comments on various city issues, and decisions on a park planter project and a traffic request letter.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the consent agenda (7-0), which included:
  • Acceptance of the Board of Elections Report #2026-03 (FY27 Budget Request).
  • Reappointment of Stanley Zirkin to the Advisory Committee Advancing Public Safety (ACAPS) and acceptance of his resignation from the Employee Relations Board (ERB).
  • Acceptance of Dr. Charles Jackman's resignation from the Advisory Committee on Trees (ACT).
  • Authorization for the City Manager to approve a contract with Citylogix for sidewalk assessment and fund reallocation.
  • Authorization for the City Manager to purchase equipment, materials, and fund reallocation.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Judith “J” Davis (Resident): Thanked the Council for nominating him for a Maryland Municipal League award, and raised questions about WMATA reimbursement, CDBG fund usage, and commercial property tax rates.
• Mark Sherman (Resident): Proposed implementing a ward system for Council representation to improve accountability and representation.
• Andy Zmidzinski (Resident): Raised concerns about stop sign camera enforcement, including lack of printed enforcement zone maps and questioned the role of traffic engineering in camera placement.
• Michael Hartman (Resident): Requested more information on the Citylogix sidewalk assessment, emphasizing the need for ADA-compliant, contiguous sidewalks and asked for removal of the item from the consent agenda for discussion.
• David Waples (Resident): Urged the Council to mitigate tax increases on older residents and advocated for building the commercial tax base rather than raising personal taxes.
• Louise Weissman (Resident): Expressed strong opposition to managing JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) initiatives through the Human Resources department, arguing it should be a citywide effort.
• Tom Rollins (Resident): Argued that folding the DEI officer role into HR represents a retreat from the city's commitment to DEI, and suggested Council return its self-awarded pay increase to cover the cost.

Presentations

• Older Americans Month Proclamation: Mayor Jordan proclaimed May as Older Americans Month with the theme "Champion Your Health." Christal Batey, Assistant Director of CARES and GAIL, accepted the proclamation. The Golden Age Club reported 70 members and noted weekly activities.
• Greenbelt Recycles & Composts Week Proclamation: Mayor Jordan proclaimed a year-long focus on recycling and composting. Dr. Luisa Robles, Sustainability Coordinator, reported that in the first three months of the "Save as You Throw" program, trash sent to landfill decreased by 12%, and recycling increased by 8%. In 2025, 105 tons of food scraps were diverted from the landfill. RFID tags on max-trash carts will be deployed by June 10 to streamline sticker renewal.
• Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Awareness Month Proclamation: Mayor Jordan declared May as Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Awareness Month. Cynthia Brown, Aquatic Coordinator, highlighted that lifeguards are first responders and that the outdoor pool opened May 24. She emphasized the national lifeguard shortage and the need for ongoing recruitment.

Discussion Items

• FY2027 Budget Adoption: The Council reviewed and voted on a series of departmental budget amendments and non-monetary changes before final adoption.

  • Revenue: Amended to $42,008,895 (from $41,748,149), a net increase of $260,746, later reduced by $25,000 after a successful amendment to keep the Greenbelt Cinema subsidy at $75,000 (insteadoftheproposed$100,000). Theamendmentpassed5‑2(FritzandPompiinferredasopposingtheamendment?Theminutesstate5‑2infavoroftheamendment?Checkingminutes:"ItwasmovedbyCouncilmemberMcKinneyandsecondedbyMayorProTemWeavertomaintaintheFOGTsubsidyof$25,000forsixmonths.Themotionpassed5‑2.(CouncilmembersFritzandPompiopposed.)"Wait,FOGTappearstobeasubsidyline?MinutesalsoincludeGreenbeltCinemasubsidy?ThetranscriptshowstheamendmentwasabouttheGreenbeltCinemasubsidy.TheminutesreferenceFOGT(subsidyforFriends ofGreenbeltTheatre?)Actuallytheminutessay"FOGTsubsidyof$25,000forsixmonths"butthetranscriptmakesclearthattheamendmentkepttheCinemasubsidyat$75,000.Theminutesmaybehaveaminorerror?Iwillusethetranscriptandagenda:FOGTlikelymeans"Friends of Greenbelt Theatre"?Yes. The amendment passed 5-2; Fritz and Pompi voted no. Later the total revenue was voted as amended to $41,983,895 (from previously $42,008,895), difference of $235,746.
  • Departmental Changes: All passed 7-0 except General Government (7-0), Planning (7-0), Public Safety (7-0), Public Works (7-0), Greenbelt CARES (7-0), Recreation (7-0), Miscellaneous Grants (7-0). Non‑Departmental changes passed 6-1 (Fritz opposed). Total General Fund expenditures approved at $41,976,990 (increase of $235,746) 7-0.
  • Non-Monetary Changes: Council voted 7-0 to remove item #7 (eliminate DEI officer role) from the block approval. The remaining seven items (1-6 and 8) passed 5-2 (Fritz and Pope opposed). Item #7 was then voted separately and passed 5-2 (Fritz and Pope opposed), eliminating the DEI officer role and retaining full funding for a future role to be defined.
  • Ordinance Adoption: First reading with suspension of rules (7-0) and second reading adoption (7-0) passed. The FY2027 budget appropriates $41,976,990 in expenditures and $41,983,895 in revenues, with no increase to real property tax rates. The budget runs from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.

• Greenbelt Station Central Park Planter Project: Council debated a proposal from Greenbelt Station residents for planters in the park. A motion to refer to the Park and Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB) failed 2-5 (Jordan and Pope in favor). A subsequent motion to approve the HOA installing and maintaining planters under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) passed 6-1 (Jordan opposed). The city will fund up to $2,200 (half of the estimated $4,400 cost) from special projects.

• State Highway Administration "Don't Block the Box" Striping Request: Council passed 7-0 to direct staff to draft a letter to SHA requesting priority installation of westbound "Don't Block the Box" striping at State Route 193 (Greenbelt Road) and Hanover Parkway over the summer to alleviate congestion.

• Council Reports: Councilmember Fritz presented a nonpartisan letter signed by 11 current and former AANHPI elected officials in Prince George's County condemning racist remarks made by Maryland delegates against Delegate Chao Wu. The letter was placed on record.

Key Outcomes

• FY2027 Budget Adopted: Total General Fund expenditures $41,976,990; total revenues $41,983,895. No real property tax increase. The budget includes a $75,000 subsidy for Greenbelt Cinema (instead of proposed $100,000), plus $60,000 for a business plan and $15,000 for utility costs. The DEI officer position was eliminated, with funding retained for a future role.
• Greenbelt Station Planters: Approved with condition that HOA installs and maintains the planters under an MOU, with city funding up to $2,200.
• Traffic Letter: Staff directed to draft a letter to SHA for "Don't Block the Box" striping at Greenbelt Road and Hanover Parkway.
• Committee Appointments: Stanley Zirkin reappointed to ACAPS; resignations accepted from Charles Jackman (ACT) and Stanley Zirkin (ERB).