Hyattsville City Council Meeting - September 14, 2026

The Hyattsville City Council met virtually on Monday, September 14, 2026, at 7:00 PM. After a long public comment period, the council received an FY24 audit presentation, adopted proclamations, approved appointments and consent items, debated and passed a letter to Prince George's County about ICE's expansion at 6505 Belcrest Road, and voted to enter closed session. Public comment was limited to two minutes per speaker and, although scheduled for 7:10-7:40 PM, ran more than 90 minutes. No minutes were provided in the source packet.

Consent Calendar

• The agenda was approved as presented.
• Consent items were approved in one motion, including: a Special Use Agreement with Route 1 Velo for the cyclocross race at David C. Driskell Community Park on Sunday, September 20, 2026 (the agenda title says '2025 Cyclocross Race' while the motion/date references 2026); an FY27 budget appropriation of $21,875 from the Maryland Department of Service and Civic Innovation for a Service Corps member; scheduling a council meeting for Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at 7:00 PM; and letters of support for zoning variances at 6010 43rd St (V-29-26: 483 ft net lot area, 9.2% net lot coverage, 4.98 ft width at front setback, 1 ft side yard) and 4614 Burlington Rd (V-21-26: 5 ft lot frontage, 10.9% net lot coverage, 25 ft lot width, 1.3 ft side yards).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Many residents supported the draft letter asking County Executive Aisha Braveboy to rescind the use and occupancy permit for ICE's Office of the Principal Legal Advisor at 6505 Belcrest Road. Laura Usher cited a 200% increase in ICE detentions in Prince George's County; Lee Higgins said Northwestern High School lost more than 10% of enrollment; Sean Shannon said ICE said it had taken more than 1,300 people in the DMV in a two-week period; and Sarah Harper and Victoria Boucher said a petition with more than 1,000 signatures had been delivered to county officials.
• Many speakers opposed the Flock ALPR camera contract, citing privacy violations, Fourth Amendment lawsuits in other cities, financial risk, and alleged data sharing with ICE. Alex Koch said nearly 200 more jurisdictions have canceled Flock contracts; Dan Broder cited Flock footage of a children's gymnastics class taken inside a private building.
• Multiple residents, including Octavia Clapp, David Heiles, and Malik Ferguson, urged the council to adopt ranked choice voting for municipal elections. One resident, Mr. Marshall, spoke against ranked choice voting.
• A recurring demand was the return to in-person or hybrid council meetings; residents said virtual-only meetings reduce transparency and accessibility.
• Several speakers pressed for budget transparency and accountability, asking who knew what and when about the audit problems. Malik Ferguson, a federal auditor, said he had never seen an error of this magnitude; some residents called for forensic audits and for the mayor or city administrator to step down.
• Other comments included Hamilton Street noise complaints, support for public comment before and after meetings, and a request for clearer information about former Treasurer Ron Brooks's employment status. One former council member criticized council leadership and was cut off after using profanity; another resident later defended the speaker's constitutional right to use that language.

City Administrator Update

• City Administrator Tracey Douglas said she is responsible for city governance and audit oversight. Former Treasurer Ron Brooks resigned effective September 1, 2026; Ben Broche is interim treasurer. Brooks is assisting with transition through the week but no longer has access to bank accounts. The city is hiring an interim CPA firm and has posted the treasurer position; the posting had received about 70 views and 5 applicants. Douglas also said she previously announced plans to retire, and the council is beginning a search for the next city administrator.
• She stated there is no current evidence of missing funds or fraud, and that Maryland municipalities are required to have financial records audited annually, with audits filed by October 31 following the close of the fiscal year.

FY24 Audit Presentation

• ZA audit firm (Frank Posega and Kim Stank) presented the FY24 financial statements and single audit. The audit restated beginning fund balances to correct long-standing interfund balances. The general fund's unassigned fund balance decreased from about $24.5 million at June 30, 2023 to about $7 million at June 30, 2024. The capital projects fund went from a negative $27.1 million to a positive assigned balance of $7.35 million.
• The auditors reported material weaknesses in timely and accurate financial reporting, account reconciliations, interfund accounting, and the pooled cash structure. They said the restatements were historical corrections and found no evidence of fraud or missing money.
• Interim Treasurer Ben Broche outlined next steps: estimated general and capital fund balances within about 30 days, all-fund reporting for FY25 and FY26 within about 60 days, enhanced quarterly financial reports, and a move away from the pooled cash structure to segregated accounts. He said cash in investment accounts was about $12 million a few days earlier, and the FY24 reserve level was about 19% of the current revenue budget, above the GFOA's roughly two-month (16-17%) minimum guideline.
• Councilmember Joanne Waszczak said she intends to submit a motion for a forensic audit, noting that a financial statement audit serves a different purpose.

Action Item: Letter Regarding 6505 Belcrest Road

• The council considered a motion authorizing the Mayor to send correspondence to the Prince George's County Executive about the use and occupancy permit for ICE's Office of the Principal Legal Advisor. The transcript at one point reads '3505 Belcrest Road,' but the agenda and debate refer to 6505 Belcrest Road.
• Councilmember Edouard Haba offered an amendment to remove language asking the county to rescind/revoke the permit and instead ask for sustained enforcement; the amendment failed on a roll-call vote, 2-7-1.
• Councilmember Greg Barnes's friendly amendment to change a sentence from 'without fear that doing so could expose them to immigration enforcement activity' to 'free from the unwarranted specter of immigration enforcement activity' was adopted.
• The amended motion passed. Councilmembers debated whether the letter could or should ask the county to do something the county said it lacked legal authority to do.

Proclamations and Appointments

• The council adopted proclamations recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15, 2026), National Preparedness Month (September 2026), and the life and contributions of Stuart Eisenberg.
• The council approved appointments/reappointments to several city boards, including the Environment Committee (Jahmal Clemons and Jake Parreira), Board of Supervisors of Elections (Jocelyn Gipson), Common Ownership Community Advisory Committee (Sharon Saldarriaga and alternate Evan Bray), Ethics Commission (David Sip), Shade Tree Board (Deb Taylor), Police and Public Safety Citizens Advisory Committee (Patricia Page; the agenda wording said 'Community Advisory Committee' and was corrected during the meeting), Race & Equity Task Force (Jocelyn Medallo), Health, Wellness & Recreation Advisory Committee (Josefa Martinez), and Code Compliance Advisory Committee (Arinee Flurry).

Council Dialogue

• Council President Solomon said ranked choice voting was tentatively scheduled for council discussion in October and noted that in-person meetings face technical and broadcast challenges.
• Police Chief Towers outlined the ALPR review process: the Police and Public Safety Citizens Advisory Committee heard from police in August and Flock in September, will hear from an independent ALPR expert in October, hold a listening session in November, deliberate in December, and report to the council in early 2027.
• City staff reported that the Hamilton Street music complaint was investigated, the music had been turned down, and it was now at a level compliant with the city code.
• Councilmember Shibley urged more decorum and care in council proceedings; Councilmember Nisbett agreed and asked for legal review of motions before they reach the council. Several members thanked the public for its engagement, and the Education Advisory Committee's backpack drive of more than 380 backpacks was recognized.

Closed Session

• The council voted to enter closed session to consult with the city attorney regarding potential or pending litigation involving Hyattsville Spirits & Grill, citing Maryland Code General Provisions Article Section 3-305(b)(7) and (8). Council President Solomon abstained; all other voting members voted yes. The council did not return to open session.

Key Outcomes

• Proclamations adopted and appointments approved.
• Consent calendar approved, including zoning variance support letters and a $21,875 grant appropriation.
• The letter regarding 6505 Belcrest Road was approved as amended; Councilmember Haba's proposed amendment failed.
• The next regular council meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at 7:00 PM.
• The council entered closed session at the end of the meeting.