Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee Meeting - June 4, 2026
Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee Meeting - June 4, 2026
The Planning, Housing and Economic Development (PHED) Committee met on Thursday, June 4, 2026, at 10:24 AM in Committee Room 2027. Chair Wala Blegay presided with Council Members Shayla Adams-Stafford, Thomas Dernoga, and Eric Olson present; Vice Chair Krystal Oriadha was excused. The committee considered three items: CB-023-2026 (Rental Licenses), CR-039-2026 (Rural Promotion for Agri-tourism), and CR-040-2026 (Agritourism and Winery Promotion Pilot Program). All three items were disposed of with unanimous votes.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Felicia Murray (Prince George's County resident, founder of Farm Experiences Collection) testified in support of CR-039-2026. She cited global agritourism models (e.g., Vermont, Taiwan, Ireland, Michigan/Ontario) and noted the global market is $8–10 billion with projected growth over $15 billion by 2030. She urged Prince George's County not to miss the economic opportunity.
- Kim Rushlin (Urban Ag Conservation Program, Prince George's Soil Conservation District) supported both CR-039-2026 and CR-040-2026 on behalf of the Soil Conservation District. She highlighted the importance of agritourism for farm viability, soil and water conservation, and recommended including the Farm Bureau, Maryland Department of Agriculture, Destination Prince George's, Chamber of Commerce, and the Planning Department.
- Amy McCurdy (manager of PA Bowen Farmstead, vice president of Greater Baden and Aquasco Citizens Association) supported both bills, emphasizing the need to preserve agricultural heritage and connect suburban/urban residents to open spaces, wineries, and farms. She noted Eagle Harbor's designation as a Black heritage site.
- Pam Skinner (Severn Crossing resident, 34-year resident of Bowie) questioned CR-040-2026's use of $50,000 in taxpayer money. She asked three questions: (1) criteria for qualifying a winery or agribusiness for promotion, (2) decision-making process and who decides, (3) how much can be spent per business. She also sought definition of "emerging ventures" and transparency in the pilot program.
Discussion Items
- CB-023-2026 (Rental Licenses): Council Member Dernoga moved to hold the bill in committee until the next session. The motion passed unanimously (4-0). No discussion on the substance.
- CR-039-2026 (Rural Promotion for Agri-tourism): Committee staff (Rana Hightower) presented the resolution, noting planning department comments on regulatory barriers and MWBE inclusion. David Noto provided fiscal and policy impact, citing a steady decline in county-based farms since the tobacco buyout in 2000 and the potential positive indirect impact on the tax base. Chair Blegay explained the bill aims to counter the assumption that the rural tier has "nothing there" and to promote existing agritourism assets, which many residents are unaware of. Council Member Dernoga noted discrepancies between CR-039 and CR-040 in report timelines and proposed aligning them. The committee agreed to add Destination Prince George's, the Food Systems section of the Planning Department, and the Farm Bureau as partners, and to tie the final report to the CR-040 pilot program report. Council Member Adams-Stafford highlighted the link to food security and local farm sourcing.
- CR-040-2026 (Agritourism and Winery Promotion Pilot Program): Staff presented the resolution establishing a 12-month pilot program with Destination Prince George's and the Maryland Wineries Association, allocating $50,000 for signage, marketing, and events. David Noto noted the wine industry in Maryland has experienced significant growth since 2000, with over 80 wineries statewide and seven in the county (though Council Member Dernoga counted only five or six operational ones). Council Member Dernoga explained the impetus from a February TIE committee meeting and emphasized that the pilot aims to support wineries and other agritourism (e.g., distilleries, breweries, meaderies). The committee amended the resolution to change "may" to "shall" regarding pursuit of federal and state funding, to change the winery count reference to "several" (or similar), and to coordinate the report with CR-039. Pam Skinner's concerns about fiscal discipline and criteria were addressed by Council Member Dernoga, who noted the council will not designate funds; Destination Prince George's will allocate them, and $50,000 is minimal.
Key Outcomes
- CB-023-2026: Held in committee (motion by Dernoga, second by Olson; vote 4-0).
- CR-039-2026: Amended to add Destination Prince George's, the Food Systems section of the Planning Department, and the Farm Bureau; report timeline aligned with CR-040. Favorably recommended with amendments (motion by Blegay, second by Dernoga; vote 4-0).
- CR-040-2026: Amended to change "may" to "shall" for pursuing federal/state funding, adjust winery count language to "several" (or similar), and coordinate report with CR-039. Favorably recommended with amendments (motion by Blegay, second by Dernoga; vote 4-0).
- The meeting adjourned following a motion by Council Member Dernoga, seconded by Council Member Olson; all ayes (4-0).
Meeting Transcript
All right, good morning. We're calling Planning Housing and Economic Development Committee to order. Um, can we please take the roll? Chair Blagay present. Council members Adam Stafford. Present. Councilmember Denoga. Councilmember Olson. Here. Four members present. Roll call. All right. All right. Now we are going to start with CB 23. And I believe we are holding this bill, so I will turn it over to Councilmember Denoga. Yes, I'd like to hold this to the next session. Motion to hold. Right. We have a motion and a second. Can we please call the roll? Chair Blagay. Aye. Councilmember Adam Stafford. Aye. Councilmember Denoga. Councilmember Olsen. Aye. Motion to hold for zero. Thank you. All right. So the next um bill that we will have is CB 20 CR 39. Um, and this bill um is a bill that I um have a passion for after meeting with a lot of the leaders down in District 9 and our rural tier. And um, so I want to start off with my presentation from committee staff. Good morning, uh, madam chair and members of the PHED committee. Uh, this resolution will encourage partnerships between state and local entities, such as the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission, the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension Program, the Soil Conservation District, and the Economic Development Corporation by promoting agro-tourism areas within Prince George's County. Mr. David Nodo is here to provide a fiscal and policy impact statement on the proposed legislation. I wanted to bring to your attention that the planning department provided several comments on the proposed uh legislation, which are on pages 13 through 14. Some of their uh comments were that the planning department was not named, uh, that there's some regulatory barriers, and that no MWBEs were named. Uh, also you have a list of sign up persons signed up to speak, um, Chair Blaget, and I'd like to turn it over to Mr. Nodo. Thank you. Good morning, Chair Blige and members of the PHED committee. My name is David Noto, and the following is an overview of CR 39 2026 resolution concerning a promotion for agritourism. You'll find this report on page eight of your virtual binder. Prince Rudis County has seen a steady decline in the number of county-based farms since the tobacco buyout in 2000 as a result of pressures on the agricultural economy. There's been a steady trend towards alternative agricultural endeavors, including agro tourism. Adoption of CR 39 could have a positive indirect impact on the county's tax base as additional support for agritourism within the county could lead to additional tourism dollars spent in the county, thereby strengthening and diversifying the county's economy. One item for committee consideration that Ms. Hightower uh alluded to is that there are additional organizations that could be beneficial to partner with that would support agritourism, including um the Prince George's County Farm Bureau, uh, the Maryland National Capital Parks and Planning Commission's Food Systems Planning Section, uh, Destination Prince George's and the Prince George's County Chamber of Commerce.
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