Hyattsville City Council Regular Meeting - October 12, 2026

The Hyattsville City Council met virtually on Monday, October 12, 2026, beginning at 7:00 PM and adjourning at 11:57 PM. Minutes were not available; this summary draws on the agenda and transcript. After roll call, the Council amended the agenda to move consent items 9B and 9F to the action agenda for discussion. The meeting centered on public comments about city finances, the audit backlog, the future of City Administrator Tracy Douglas, the Flock ALPR contract, ranked-choice voting, and traffic-calming projects.

Consent Calendar

• Approved 2027-45: authorized a grant-funded expenditure not to exceed $100,000 to the Low Impact Development Center (LIDC) for the Kennedy Street Project and authorized a change order increasing the contract by $645,000 and extending the end date to August 31, 2028.
• Approved 2027-58: accepted and appropriated $13,791 from the FY25 BJA Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant for portable and mobile radios.
• Approved 2027-66: approved RFP ADM2027-01 for Executive Search Consultant Services to recruit candidates for City Administrator.
• Approved 2027-60: authorized correspondence to M-NCPPC and the Prince George's County Planning Board requesting FY2028 funding for trail, park, and Arts District priorities.
• Approved 2027-62: adopted Resolution 2026-04 pursuing Bird City Maryland designation.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Many residents expressed support for City Administrator Tracy Douglas and urged that she be allowed to continue until her planned retirement in June 2027. Speakers included former Mayor Candace Hollingsworth, former city staff member Douglas Holland, Pastor Penn, Diane Walt, Nina Fay, and Gloria Thompson. Doug Holland called bullying and intimidation signs of incompetent leaders and said Douglas had been central to the city's revival.
• Critical speakers included Tatiana Huberk Volanovich, who said Douglas should not remain in charge given the duration and seriousness of financial reporting problems, and former Councilmember Patrick Pashall, who said the Council had a duty to investigate mismanagement and should not settle for a standard of 'no fraud.'
• Multiple residents opposed the city's Flock ALPR contract and urged cancellation and a future ban. Alex Koch cited a federal judge's ruling that ALPR systems amount to 'indiscriminate mass surveillance.' Michael Lavina asked the Council to waive PIA fees for about 10,000 Flock-related emails and criticized the share of the budget going to policing.
• Ranked-choice voting, particularly Condorcet voting, was supported by Malik Ferguson, Octavia Clapp, Caroline Borders, and Dan Broder. Broder also suggested a non-binding referendum if no formal recommendation emerges from the Board of Supervisors of Elections.
• Many residents supported Bird City designation, including Malik Ferguson, Ben Samassik, Maria Dabrowski, Susan Slotnik, Lena Parik, and Michael Bonds. Several offered to cover the $200 application fee so the designation would cost the city nothing.
• Michael Angeloni, a Ward 5 resident with Spina Bifida, highlighted accessibility concerns, citing the 2025 resident survey in which 62% were satisfied with sidewalk accessibility and 48% with accessibility at parks and playgrounds. He proposed a disability advisory committee, an ADA transition plan update, and a public accessibility tracker.

Proclamations and Appointments

• The Council adopted proclamations designating October 2026 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and National Code Compliance Month, and designating October 12, 2026 as Indigenous Peoples' Day.
• The Council approved the appointment of Emma Zahren-Newman to the Education Advisory Committee for two years ending October 12, 2028; the reappointment of Taylor Johnson to the Shade Tree Board for three years ending October 12, 2029; and the reappointment of Dyann Waugh to the Health, Wellness, and Recreation Advisory Committee for two years ending October 12, 2028. The transcript referred to Dr. Diane Wall for the last appointment, while the agenda listed Dyann Waugh.

Discussion Items

• City Administrator Update: Tracy Douglas thanked residents and staff, acknowledged the city's financial work, and reported that the audit firm has begun pulling documents for the outstanding audits. She said a financial adviser, Ms. Chung, was expected to begin this week; the city was recruiting a treasurer; and work on quarterly reports and tax classification was underway.
• Councilmember Danny Schaible raised detailed concerns about the city's finances, saying the FY27 budget showed a general fund reserve of $28.3 million while only $8.5 million in non-bond proceeds was in the bank, a gap of about $20 million. He later corrected an earlier statement, acknowledging the city was three audits behind when the former treasurer took office. Councilmember Joanne Waszczak said the audit firm had identified three material weaknesses and that the former treasurer had withheld data, but argued the Council's focus should now be on stability and an orderly transition.
• Council President Joseph Solomon defended Douglas as a leader who took on a difficult situation, said accountability and stability could coexist, and announced that the Council had started an executive search process because Douglas had announced she would not seek contract renewal. Councilmember Gopi Dhokai urged attention to psychological safety, and Councilmember Kareem Redmond said he could not support a consequential leadership action without prior conversation among Council members.
• Traffic Calming and Transportation Projects Update (2027-57): Public Works acting director Hal Metzler presented status updates. Traffic-calming work included new sidewalks and post-installation surveys on 41st Place; speed humps on Lancer and Longfellow; planned speed cushions at 42nd and Kennedy; making the 4000 Nicholson temporary speed cushion permanent; Stanford Street and Gumwood Drive speed humps and police monitoring; and a three-phase plan for 43rd Street, Oglethorpe Street, 43rd Avenue, and the 4200 block of Nicholson Street. Transportation project updates included the Oliver Street Green Alley, Jamestown Road green street and bike boulevard work, the West Hyattsville Green Alley, the West Hyattsville Road Improvement Project, the Nicholson Street connection, and a citywide street name sign replacement program. The West Hyattsville project has received more than $1.3 million in city investment to date but remains incomplete; Councilmembers Haba and Solomon pressed for better execution and clearer tracking of CIP projects.
• 9B Driskell Community Center Renovation: Moved from consent to action so Councilmember Schaible could ask about the building's future use. Staff explained the new teen center will serve middle and high school students, while the Driskell facility will serve toddlers and kindergarten through fifth grade, including aftercare. The Council approved roof overlay with RoofPro LLC for up to $85,000 and HVAC replacement with Wallmark for up to $75,000.
• 9F Letter to Prince George's County: Moved from consent to action. The letter addresses the ADU compliance deadline, removal of tenant-safety accountability provisions from CB-113-2026 and CB-115-2026, and fee waivers proposed for the Flats at Glenridge Station under CR-104-2026 and CR-105-2026. Councilmember Schaible objected to wording that asked the county to complete nine tasks before approving the waivers; his amendment to change the language to ask for a uniform policy before considering similar waivers in the future passed 6-4 on a roll call vote. The amended letter then passed.

Key Outcomes

• The agenda was amended to pull 9B and 9F from the consent agenda. A separate motion to add a closed session on personnel matters immediately after adjournment failed for lack of a second.
• The consent items listed above, including the Bird City resolution, were approved. Driskell Community Center renovation and the county letter were approved after discussion, with the county letter amended.
• All proclamations and appointments were approved.
• The Council approved a CIP Roadway Improvement expenditure not to exceed $300,000 to NZI Construction for planned street projects.
• Next steps include issuing the executive search RFP for a new City Administrator, continuing the outstanding audits, bringing on the financial adviser, submitting the amended county letter and M-NCPPC priorities, and moving forward with Bird City designation and traffic-calming construction.