Hyattsville City Council Regular Meeting — October 20, 2025

The Hyattsville City Council met virtually on Monday, October 20, 2025, at 7:00 PM, with roll call at 7:02 PM and adjournment at 9:51 PM. Mayor Robert S. Croslin presided. Ten members were present; Councilmember Gopi Dhokai (Ward 3) was absent. The Council adopted the Race and Equity Task Force Equity Plan, approved a $650,000 capital budget amendment for Motorola communications equipment, accepted a $150,000 state grant for older-adult programs, received a presentation on the draft Prince George's County Master Transportation Plan, and heard a detailed City Administrator update covering the stop sign camera program, West Hyattsville road projects, and government shutdown resources.

Consent Calendar

• 2026-82 FY26 Budget Appropriation — Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commission Grant: Accepted a $2,500 grant award for Officer survival training. Approved unanimously (10-0).
• 2026-83 MOU: PGCDSS Child Advocacy Center: Authorized the City Administrator to enter into an MOU with participating local and municipal public safety agencies to protect children who are victims of child abuse. Approved unanimously (10-0).

Note: Agenda items 9.a (DPW CIP Budget Amendment) and 9.d (Maryland Department of Aging Grant) were moved from the consent calendar to the action agenda before approval.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Rebecca Lee (Ward 2): Thanked the city and volunteers for the 10th annual Zombie Run, which drew over 1,300 participants and directs all proceeds to area schools; expressed gratitude to Community Services, DPW, Police, Communications, Parking, and the Mayor and Council.
• Melissa Schweisguth (Ward 5): Requested follow-up updates on the strategic plan and homelessness study, and urged the city to get ahead of misinformation about the stop sign camera program, noting resident concerns about surveillance and immigration enforcement.
• Tatjana Hrubik-Vulanovic (Ward 5): Praised the Zombie Run and pressed Treasurer Ron Brooks for the first FY26 quarterly financial report (promised by mid-October) and the FY24 audit report, which she characterized as over a year late.
• Daniel Broder (Ward 2): Supported the stop sign camera program in principle but asked for significant signage, warnings, and thorough QA testing to avoid unfairly penalizing residents; also expressed support for ranked choice voting.

City Administrator Update

City Administrator Tracey Douglas delivered a wide-ranging update:

• Recognition: National First Responders Day (October 28, 2025), Economic Development Week (October 20–24), Code Compliance Month, and police officers honored with the Maryland Impaired Driving Law Enforcement Award.
• Government shutdown support: Highlighted free MARC/commuter bus service for federal workers, state unemployment benefits, Capital Area Food Bank distribution, utility bill support, and a federal shutdown loan program.
• Mental wellness check-in program: Chief of Police Jarod Towers reported receipt of a $62,000 GOCCP grant — half the $124,000–125,000 requested — to continue the mandatory three-times-per-year mental health check-ins and expand voluntary participation.
• Stop sign camera program: 36 locations will go before the County Council on November 4 (County Resolution 123); vendor proposals were opened October 14, with a vendor recommendation expected before the Hyattsville Council on November 3. The Chief stated the cameras will not use facial recognition, data is protected by Maryland law and accessible only to HPD absent a subpoena or court order, and only about 4–8 cameras will be active at any time, rotating based on crash data and resident input. GIS analysis using a half-mile radius from school property lines covers approximately 80% of city stop signs.
• West Hyattsville road projects: DPW reported completed phases (curbs, sidewalks, gas main replacements, Nicholson Street pedestrian safety work) and upcoming work, including Jamestown Road design and the West Hyattsville Green Alley; projects of this scale typically take 7–15 years.
• East-West Highway safety: SHA completed a safety study after a fatal crash, installing flexi-posts, horizontal curve warning signs, and radar speed signs.

Council discussion included the need to coordinate opening Nicholson Street near the Kirkwood Apartments before a developer's second building construction begins; door-hanger outreach for residents without internet; and a request from Councilmember Schaible for a future Hyattsville Crossing Business District update. Treasurer Brooks stated the FY24 audit is still in progress with the city's new audit firm — hoping to complete it in about a month — and committed to delivering the first quarterly financial report by the end of the week, posted to the city website.

Presentations

Go Prince George's County Master Transportation Plan (2026-85) — for presentation only. Crystal Hancock, Evan Tenenbaum, and Dharm Guruswamy presented the draft countywide functional master plan that will supersede the 2009 Master Plan of Transportation, emphasizing all modes of transportation, safety, and equity. County assets cited include 50 Metro rail stations, 8 MARC stations, 1 Amtrak station, a light rail line under construction, and almost 7,000 collective miles of sidewalks and bikeways. Since 2021, the county has held 40+ outreach events; the March 2025 open houses had 150+ people registered. A joint public hearing is expected in early 2026, with final adoption anticipated in late 2026. Councilmember Waszczak raised trail traffic management conflicts among pedestrians, cyclists, and e-scooters; Councilmember Haba requested that the Planning Committee review the plan and provide feedback; Councilmember Strab asked for examples of protected bike lanes in constrained rights-of-way. The presenters invited written recommendations during the public hearing period.

Proclamations & Appointments

• 2026-88 National First Responders Day: Adopted the proclamation recognizing October 28, 2025 as National First Responders Day. Approved unanimously (10-0).
• 2026-86 Planning Committee Appointment: Re-appointed David Marshall (Ward 4) to the Planning Committee for a two-year term ending October 20, 2027. Approved unanimously (10-0).

Action Items

• 2026-89 FY26 DPW CIP Budget Amendment: Authorized the Treasurer to adjust FY26 CIP revenues and appropriations by up to $650,000 to purchase Motorola communications equipment for the 3505 Hamilton Street facility, funded from borrowed 2024 bond proceeds. Treasurer Brooks explained the first invoice is $884,860, of which $234,860 was previously encumbered, leaving $650,000 to be paid from bond proceeds; a second invoice of an estimated $590,000 will cover installation. Chief Towers noted the full Motorola contract is $1.995 million, plus $25,000 for the ADS NICE recording system and $252,800 for Mission Critical Partners, totaling $2,272,800, with a final invoice expected at project conclusion. Councilmember Haba requested that future budget amendments show the specific budget-line impact. Approved unanimously (10-0).
• 2026-84 FY26 Budget Appropriation — Maryland Department of Aging NORC Grant: Accepted and appropriated a $150,000 Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC) grant to support programs for older adults, including digital literacy, art, caregiver support, health and wellness, and subsidized meal programs. Director Sandra Shephard advised the funding was already in the FY26 budget, so the grant allows that money to remain in the general fund. Councilmembers asked that grants offsetting budgeted programming be captured in the quarterly financial report. Approved unanimously (10-0).

Discussion Item: Race and Equity Task Force Equity Plan (2026-76)

Race and Equity Officer Shakira Louimarre presented the plan, joined by task force co-chair Nakia Clements. The plan is a roadmap for addressing inequities and removing systemic barriers, with recommendations in six areas: community engagement, housing, community safety and policing, jobs and economic prosperity, transportation, and access for people with disabilities. Key recommendations included a proposed emergency assistance fund (initial estimated cost $100,000–$200,000, not to exceed $200,000 annually, funded through a city housing trust) for renters and homeowners facing hardship, modeled on Tacoma Park's assistance program and the city's COVID-19 household emergency relief program; improved public access to and education about police enforcement data; a community and business resource center; collective advocacy on transportation inequities; and reassessment of the 2012 ADA transition plan. Louimarre stressed that adoption does not signify a financial obligation and would codify equity work to protect it through challenging times.

Councilmember Nisbett praised the plan and confirmed adoption does not commit funding. Council President Solomon questioned why the vote should occur before the strategic plan is completed; Louimarre responded that the plan has been in development since 2019 and that codifying equity now grounds future decision-making. Solomon also suggested the vision statement could be shorter. Councilmember Barnes recommended adding explicit protected classes (race, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability) to the vision statement and cited data showing 31% of homeowners and about 43% of renters are cost-burdened, urging consideration of homeowner assistance. Councilmember Haba suggested passing the plan and worksheet and letting the committee revise the vision statement. Councilmember Waszczak praised the plan's actionable nature and detailed the proposed equity impact analysis modeled on the GARE toolkit. The Council voted 10-0 to move the item to the action agenda, then voted 10-0 to adopt the equity plan and worksheet as presented, with the vision statement to be revisited at a later meeting (the transcript specifies the November 13 meeting; the minutes say "at a later meeting").

Key Outcomes

• Agenda amended to move items 9.a and 9.d to the action agenda (10-0); agenda approved as amended (10-0).
• Race and Equity Task Force Equity Plan and revised committee worksheet adopted; vision statement to be revised and brought back (10-0).
• $650,000 Motorola communications equipment budget amendment approved (10-0).
• $150,000 Maryland Department of Aging NORC grant accepted (10-0).
• $2,500 police training grant and Child Advocacy Center MOU approved on consent (10-0).
• National First Responders Day proclamation adopted (10-0).
• David Marshall re-appointed to the Planning Committee (10-0).
• Meeting adjourned at 9:51 PM on a 9-1 vote (Councilmember Waszczak voted no).
• Next steps: stop sign camera vendor recommendation to the Council on November 3 and County Council action on 36 locations November 4; West Hyattsville project presentation expected at the first November meeting; Planning Committee review of the draft transportation plan; first quarterly financial report due by the end of the week.