Hyattsville City Council Regular Meeting: October 26, 2026

The Hyattsville City Council held a virtual regular meeting on Monday, October 26, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. Mayor Croslin experienced technical difficulties at the start, so Council President Joseph Solomon and city staff convened the meeting. After roll call established a quorum, the council approved the agenda and the September 14, 2026 minutes, heard extensive public comment, received a City Administrator update, heard a Board of Supervisors of Elections presentation on ranked choice voting (RCV), adopted a proclamation, approved four appointments, approved the consent agenda, approved a change order for the Public Safety Building, and discussed the 2027 council meeting calendar. The meeting adjourned around 11:41 p.m.

Consent Calendar

• The consent agenda was approved in one motion. It included:
  • 2026 Commercial Facade Improvement grant awards. The agenda listed Art 'N Hair LLC at $17,980.24 and De Novo Consignments LLC at $5,000; the consent motion as transcribed revised Art 'N Hair to $13,485.18 and did not mention De Novo Consignments. Other properties included 3801 Hamilton St LLC ($15,000), 4118 Queensbury Road LLC ($20,000), 5126 Baltimore LLC ($12,000), Lawson's Pharmacy ($13,000), MarkelBrothers LLC ($15,000), Maryland Meadworks ($4,000), and Queens Chapel Town Center LLC ($30,000).
  • A trip-hazard mitigation contract with Precision Concrete Cutting for Ward 4 sidewalks, not to exceed $60,000.
  • Renewal of option year 2 of the Adirondack Tree Experts tree-maintenance contract, not to exceed $190,000.
  • CY2027 increases to employee health care premium contributions and Maryland FMLAI contributions.
  • $600 in Ward 3 discretionary funds for the November 7, 2026 Diwali celebration at the Hyattsville Library.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Alex Cook (Ward 5) asked the council to place an RCV referendum on the ballot and expressed disappointment with the Police and Public Safety Committee's Flock contract review, saying residents were not told the identity of the outside expert.
• Brian Banks supported RCV, describing the BOSE presentation's drawbacks as vague and saying the statistic that 68% of voters rank multiple candidates is positive, not negative.
• Corey Pond (Ward 2) said traffic calming for Jefferson Street was approved seven years ago after a city study recorded speeds of 57 mph in a 25 mph zone, and requested a written DPW timeline within 30 days.
• Michelle Whitaker, executive director of Ranked Choice Voting Maryland, supported an RCV referendum and urged the council to use accurate data and include voter-education resources.
• Alexi Boato (Ward 4) opposed the Flock camera contract, calling it warrantless mass surveillance and a risk of lawsuits.
• Lauren Siegel (Ward 2) thanked the city for supporting the 11th annual Zombie Run: more than 1,200 participants, over $3,000 in sponsorships, and $14,300 raised by local schools.
• Michael Angeloni (Ward 5), a person living with spina bifida, thanked the council for the proclamation and asked for an ADA transition plan update, accessibility audit, and accessibility tracker.
• Caitlin Fitzpatrick opposed Flock cameras and criticized Hamilton Street noise-code enforcement, saying the city spends over 40% of its budget on policing and spent $26 million on the new police station.
• Michael Lavino (Ward 4, organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation) also opposed Flock, called for a focus on community services, and asked the council to waive public-records fees.
• Malik Ferguson (Ward 3) supported RCV and Condorcet voting, citing polling that over 60% of people of color and over 70% of Americans under 40 support RCV, and noting Hyattsville's median age is 35.6 and its population is 70% people of color.
• Patrick Pashal (Ward 4, Nicholson Street) praised the new teen center but criticized years of delays on city projects and asked why the council tolerates poor project timelines.
• Marshall (Ward 4) opposed RCV, defended project delays as linked to funding and permitting, and criticized what he called a personal vendetta against City Administrator Tracy Douglas.
• Melissa Schweizgouth (name as transcribed) supported RCV, questioned inconsistencies in facade grant totals, and asked whether the council was reviewing ALPR technology generally or only Flock.
• Several other residents, including Octavia Clapp, Dan Broder, Luis Walters, Katie McDermott, Alison Mendoza Walters, and Mike Bonds, supported a 2027 non-binding RCV referendum and/or opposed Flock/ALPR cameras. Broder and Bonds emphasized that a referendum would not add city costs.

City Administrator Update

• City Administrator Tracy Douglas introduced Susan Chung, a contracted CPA/finance expert with 11+ years of municipal finance experience, who will work about 120 days to review financial operations, internal controls, audit action plans, debt service, and reporting; she will also assist with hiring a treasurer and financial advisor.
• Douglas reported early voting is available through October 29, 2026, and the city building will be an Election Day polling site.
• She reported more than $3 million in grants received over the last six months for emergency services and other departments, with about $3 million in carried-over grant funds still to be spent.
• Staff updates covered the CERT team, a health benefits fair, a 50-pound drug take-back, the teen center's opening, a multi-generational center design workshop on October 27 from 6–8 p.m., Veterans Day plans, and a housing resource fair.
• Staff responded to earlier comments: a Jefferson Street traffic-calming status update would be provided at the next council meeting; project delays were attributed to funding, permitting, hidden conditions, and adaptive reuse; Hamilton Street music had been turned off after a meeting with the property manager; and leaf collection/winter pickup schedules were explained.

Board of Supervisors of Elections Presentation: Ranked Choice Voting

• Board of Supervisors of Elections members Zach Peters and Aaron Payne, with City Clerk Nate Groenendyk, presented the results of roughly six months of review of RCV for Hyattsville.
• They explained instant-runoff voting, proportional RCV, and Condorcet voting, with a focus on instant-runoff voting.
• They said many national RCV approval polls lack transparent methodology, and they outlined benefits (majority support, more voter information, reduced negative campaigning) and drawbacks (education costs, ballot exhaustion, unresolved equity questions).
• Cost estimates were $40,000–$50,000 in the first year and $20,000–$25,000 per year ongoing, including an estimated $10,000–$15,000 for ballot/software upgrades.
• Reviewing Hyattsville elections since 2001, they found 81 total races, 28 (35%) with three or more candidates, and 13 (16%) won with less than 50% of the vote; their simulations suggested relatively few outcomes would likely change under RCV.
• Turnout in Hyattsville was 18.6% in 2025, 13.8% in 2023, 22% in the 2022 special mayoral election, 28.2% in 2021, and 14% in 2019.
• The board did not make a formal recommendation for or against RCV, but suggested the Race and Equity Task Force assess equity questions and asked the council to weigh costs, education needs, and voter engagement.
• Council members differed: some supported putting a non-binding RCV referendum on the 2027 ballot and requested an equity analysis; others questioned the cost and whether RCV would change results, citing Takoma Park's experience. Several council members also asked about direct council adoption, demographically comparable cities, and disaggregated race-level data.

Proclamations and Appointments

• The council unanimously adopted a proclamation designating October 2026 as Spina Bifida Awareness Month.
• Appointments approved unanimously:
  • Jeremiah Schatt (Ward 2) to the Audit Committee, term ending October 26, 2028.
  • Danielle Gratz (Ward 1) to the Hyattsville Environment Committee, term ending October 26, 2028.
  • Katie Siemon (Ward 1) to the Ethics Commission, term ending October 26, 2029.
  • Ali Angel (Ward 3) and D'Andre Phillips (Ward 2) to the Health, Wellness, and Recreation Advisory Committee, terms ending October 26, 2028.

Action Item: JMT Engineering Change Order

• The council approved a change order to the JMT Engineering contract for the Public Safety Building at 3505 Hamilton Street, authorizing expenditures up to $320,000 and extending the contract through technology, communications, and administrative close-out.
• Staff stated this was the final JMT change order and walked through a timeline: communications consoles were being installed that week, the first furniture delivery was scheduled for mid-November, and the second furniture delivery was expected in mid-January, after which police staff would begin moving in.
• Councilmember Solomon noted that the capital projects tracker's completion-date column appeared blank; staff agreed to check it.

Discussion Items

• 2027 Council Meeting Calendar: The council reviewed a draft resolution and calendar. Members discussed the length of the summer recess, January return timing, budget work sessions, and holiday conflicts.
• Changes agreed during the discussion:
  • Add a July 26, 2027 meeting (voice vote; one no).
  • Move October 2027 meetings from October 11 and 25 to October 4 and 18.
  • A proposal to replace the January 19 meeting with January 11 and 25 failed; the council then agreed to move the January 19 meeting to January 25.
  • Add a March 3, 2027 budget session on a 6-4 roll-call vote (Solomon, Waszczak, Barnes, Shibley, Strab, and Haba yes; Redmond, Dhokai, Lee, and Nisbet no).
• The final amended resolution was not adopted that night; staff will prepare the revised calendar for a future meeting, likely on the consent agenda.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the agenda and the September 14, 2026 minutes.
• Adopted the Spina Bifida Awareness Month proclamation.
• Appointed five residents to four city committees/commissions.
• Approved the consent agenda, including facade grants, Ward 4 trip-hazard mitigation, tree-contract renewal, CY2027 benefit contributions, and Diwali funding.
• Approved the JMT Engineering change order up to $320,000.
• Directed staff to provide a written Jefferson Street traffic-calming timeline at the next meeting and to verify the capital projects tracker.
• Agreed to draft an amended 2027 council meeting calendar with the changes above and return it for formal approval.
• Took no action on ranked choice voting; the presentation was informational, and council discussion left open a possible future referendum, equity analysis, or direct council consideration.