OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Prince George's County Council Fall Listening Tour - September 10, 2026

County Council & Boards — Thursday, September 10, 2026
BodyPrince Georges County, Maryland
SessionCounty Council & Boards
DateThursday, September 10, 2026
StatusNEW · FILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:43:57

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Welcome, residents of Prince Rogers County.

0:02

This is the fall, the first of three fall listening tours for the Prince Urgis County Council.

0:11

This is a chance for the council to hear from you to hear your concerns, your issues, and address them in real time.

0:19

Council members may respond to some of your requests, or we have staff available to take any notes and reach back out after.

0:29

Please remember to sign up if you have if you would like to speak and you haven't done so already.

0:33

We have interpretation available in sign language and in Spanish.

0:42

And some quick notes when speaking, please keep your comments at two minutes.

0:46

We have a timer that will sound as soon as the time is up.

0:49

And when referring to officials, please use their titles, for example, council member director.

0:56

And with that, I will turn it over to Chair Oriada and the members of the County Council here today to provide some opening remarks and introductions.

1:05

Thank you.

1:06

Thank you so much.

1:07

Good evening, everyone.

1:09

We're so excited to see you here today.

1:11

I'm Councilwoman Crystal Orieta.

1:13

I have the pleasure of representing District 7 on the County Council and also serving as the uh chair for this year.

1:21

Um this is our third set of listening sessions uh that we've done this year as a council.

1:28

Um it was really important to me when I became chair.

1:31

I heard people kind of loud and clear when they talked about how our council sessions are you know during the day.

1:39

It's hard to come out and you know talk to uh the council members about the issues or concerns that you have.

1:46

And so one of the things I uh really pride myself on wanting to do is come into the community.

1:51

So the idea was that we as a body could come across the county, uh, north, central, and southern part of the county throughout the year to hear concerns.

2:01

And then for myself and the vice chair, it was important to us because we represent distinct districts that have issues, but it's really helpful for each council member to hear different concerns from across the county because the concerns in one part of the district might look completely different.

2:19

So it allows us to hear you, all of us to understand the concerns, so it also helps for each member to understand the advocacy of a different council member and why something's front and center for them, because that is the thing that their residents talk about, care about the most.

2:36

And so that's what we hope to get from these listing tours.

2:38

So I said it's the opportunity for you guys to talk about if there's like bread and butter issues, like constituent service issues, you can bring those up.

2:47

If there's policy concerns, for example, types of issues and legislation you guys want us to address.

2:55

This is also the time to bring those up.

2:57

The idea is for us to just hear you.

3:00

Um, not everything we'll have an answer for, not everything might not even be in our wheelhouse to address, um, but we want to make sure that you guys have the platform.

3:07

So now I want to give my colleagues the opportunity for them to introduce themselves, then I'll do a high overview of some of the package priorities that we've already passed, some of the ones we know we're gonna work on next at this second half of the legislative session, and then for the rest of the evening, the floor is going to be to you all.

3:27

So now I'll pass it to my vice chair.

3:29

Uh good evening.

3:30

It's great to be back here uh in Bowie.

3:32

Um my name is Eric Olson.

3:34

I'm the vice chair this year of the county council.

3:36

I represent District 3, uh, which is uh College Barber, Owen Heights, New Carrollton, uh, Lanham, Seabrook, Landover Hills, those areas, Greater Riverdale area.

3:50

Good evening, and thank you all for being here with us tonight.

3:54

I'm Councilmember Danielle Hunter, and I proudly represent District 6.

3:59

Look forward to hearing from you all tonight.

4:05

Good evening, everyone, and welcome to District 4.

4:09

Uh, we want to thank you for being out this evening and taking the time to make sure that we can hear what your voices are saying, so that we can hear what your needs are.

4:22

You know, as I've said often, and I will say again, you know, our our agenda is your agenda.

4:32

We're here for you, and we're here to represent you.

4:36

Uh I'm excited to uh be here in District 4 to be home.

4:42

But uh having said that, I'll turn it back over to our chair.

4:47

Thank you so much.

4:49

Um, so now I just want to go over some high-level um packages of parties that we've already worked on.

5:00

So this is not an exhaustive list of the legislation package that we've done so far, but just want to highlight them because when we did our first listing tour, they're just uh examples of some of the things that came out of the listing tour and also the first survey that we put out as a uh council.

5:13

Um, the first package dealt with immigration.

5:16

Um it was one of the topics that came up at all of our listing tours, asking just what could we do as a local jurisdiction to stand in solidarity more with the immigrant population.

5:26

Uh, we did pass a package of legislation that looked at um eligibility of employment, um, so that if someone had worked for ICE in a particular role starting at a certain date, that they would not be eligible to work in law enforcement in Prince George's County, and that passed.

5:43

We also passed community uh Safe Spaces Acts, making sure that spaces around the county when we look at our county buildings and asking the same for our school system, our libraries, that there's safe spaces that would not coordinate with ICE to do um anything on their property.

6:02

Uh, we also passed the Resident Kidnapping Protection Act, one strengthening the concept that if someone the a lot what we had seen across the country is people that don't wear any type of badge, wear masks, and there was a fear of are they even really with ice, right?

6:18

And so the idea is that they can always call 911, but then what happens, and that the our officers can have information on site to give them about their rights, um, and that they also know who to call, and that the we could work with the nonprofit agency to also track information.

6:36

One of the things that we heard directly is that a lot of the information has holes in it from what we're actually getting from the federal government.

6:42

So trying to work with trusted partners on the ground that we can uh actually work with to get the proper information, and then we had legislation around uh accounting ICE det ICE detainees as mentioned and uh protecting all of our facilities.

7:00

Next, we did a package on community beautification.

7:04

Um, so this package we heard a lot about what could we do more about just keeping the community clean and holding people accountable when they litter and when they're not being the best businesses, right?

7:16

And so we passed a robust package that focused on that.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Engagement████████████12%
Child Care█████████9%
Public Safety█████████9%
Community Engagement███████7%
Economic Development███████7%
Data Management█████5%
Elderly Support Programs█████5%
Affordable Housing████4%
Zoning And Land Use████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Prince George's County Council Fall Listening Tour - September 10, 2026

The Prince George's County Council held its first fall listening tour on September 10, 2026, at Bowie, Maryland. Chair Crystal Orieta, Vice Chair Eric Olson, and councilmembers Danielle Hunter, Ingrid Watson, and others attended. The meeting featured opening remarks summarizing recent legislative packages (immigration, community beautification, child care, economic development, data center moratorium) and dedicated the majority of the evening to public comment. Twenty-eight speakers signed up; topics ranged from animal shelter conditions, land sale transparency, child care provider barriers, data centers and water security, library funding, senior services, traffic safety, and noise enforcement.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Leah Shuler (animal rescue advocate): Expressed concerns about poor communication, inadequate veterinary care, lack of spay/neuter enforcement at the county shelter, and the need for an active Animal Advisory Committee. Chair Orieta noted she had inquired about the committee and would follow up.
  • Tanya Stevens (Bowie resident, representing 450 homes along Duccatown Road): Criticized the lack of community engagement in the sale of a public asset for a winery/resort, which she said was sold at 57% below appraised value. She asked for a meeting and transparency. Councilmember Adams stated that the sale occurred before his term and that no development application had been filed. Chair Orieta acknowledged the need to re-evaluate the surplus property process.
  • Sharon McElvin: Called for reduced plastic use, more consumer choice in packaging (e.g., reusable mugs), and better recycling.
  • Alejandra Condono and Carolina Reyes (child care providers/parent advocates): Requested inclusion in the county's child care work group; raised concerns about high costs of sprinkler systems for expanding in-home daycares, lack of access to childcare scholarships, and the need for countywide coordination. Chair Orieta noted a new county childcare scholarship, $500,000 in EDI funds for provider renovations, and commitment to connect them with staff.
  • Angela Hyman (Bowie resident): Raised aging school buildings, bus driver shortages (attributed to background check delays by Councilmember Adams), overdevelopment without road improvements, and requested clarity on casino funds for education.
  • Sherman Hardy (Citizens for Accountability): Asked about progress on an Office of Inspector General (OIG). Chair Orieta and others stated no legislation had been formally introduced; the council member is free to propose it.
  • Terry Rogers (Greater Bowie Chamber of Commerce): Urged balanced regulation that respects zoning rights and avoids discouraging business investment.
  • John Robinson and Millie Hall (residents): Opposed data centers, citing environmental and property value impacts; questioned revenue claims. Millie Hall noted that a potential data center investor is tied to the Six Flags site. Councilmember Hunter clarified she had not been approached about data centers at Six Flags and opposes them.
  • Liz Anagnos (immigration advocate): Questioned the permit granted for ICE office expansion on Belcrest Road and sought recourse. Chair Orieta and others reaffirmed opposition to ICE actions and noted the county's legislation restricting immigration enforcement on county property.
  • Monica Roebuck (educator): Praised the new superintendent and rising MCAP scores, but raised concerns about ballot errors, rising taxes, trash, and the need for quality retail.
  • Paris Jackson and Brandon Adams (library employees): Described cuts to services, stagnant wages for two years, and asked for a supplemental funding package. Chair Orieta said they had advocated during budget negotiations and were assured financial issues would be resolved next fiscal year.
  • Anne Marie LePoor (senior): Criticized the Bowie senior center van policy (90-second pickup window) as insufficient for those with mobility issues. Councilmember Adams promised to look into it.
  • Denvia Johnson: Requested affordable housing for young adults and complained about lack of response from Councilmember Adams's office regarding a letter.
  • Florence Parker (senior): Asked about the reinstated senior property tax relief and high PEPCO bills. Councilmember Hunter outlined her plan to introduce three senior property tax options; Chair Orieta noted a $2 million senior utility relief program (starting in a few months).
  • Marjorie Jones (water security advocate): Supported the "Secure the Source" water study and asked for an emergency ordinance to pause all data center approvals until the study is completed. Councilmember Hunter and Chair Orieta clarified that the two-year moratorium is in place; the study and WSSC's plan will inform future decisions; Chair Orieta personally supports a full ban.
  • Yen Chin (Brandywine resident): Requested traffic safety measures (speed bumps, study) on Brandywine Heights Road; Chair Orieta said her office would follow up.
  • Linda Banks (District 6): Urged support for all residents (not just seniors) on utility costs, questioned casino funds for education, and asked Councilmember Hunter why she abstained from the data center moratorium vote. Councilmember Hunter explained she needed more information.
  • Demetria Whitley (HOA reform advocate): Criticized the slow implementation of CB31 (HOA commission) and requested a town hall. Chair Orieta committed to scheduling one and noted that the budget funded staffing for the commission.
  • Rich Knight (kidney transplant recipient): Raised awareness about kidney disease (APOL1) in African Americans and asked for education and more dialysis facilities.
  • Carlos Moreno Kingsfield (child care provider): Highlighted barriers for home-based providers expanding from 8 to 12 children (costly fire/structural requirements). Chair Orieta asked staff to follow up on state vs. county jurisdiction.
  • Sherry Cook (public safety committee member): Opposed data centers, concerned about fire/EMS capacity and recruitment. Vice Chair Olson noted the new fire chief's efforts to reduce overtime and increase recruitment; a new Beech Tree fire station is in the capital plan for FY29.
  • Malita Yearwood (resident): Called for widening of Route 193, broader senior property tax relief, and better responsiveness from council members regarding property tax bill errors.
  • Marilyn Padmore (District 3): Questioned the $39 million reallocation from the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission's (M-NCPPC) budget. Chair Orieta gave a detailed rebuttal, stating that the council took money from M-NCPPC's building fund (over $195M already spent) while increasing investments in senior services, special needs programs, free swim classes, and after-school buses. She provided figures and invited the speaker to review meeting clips.
  • Cheryl Ponds (Hyattsville arts district property owner): Stated property tax increases are outpacing rent increases, hurting small businesses and mom-and-pop landlords; asked for tax policy re-evaluation for storefront properties.
  • Eric Watson (small business owner, retired Marine): Expressed concern about a potential state living wage of $25/hour, arguing it would reduce entry-level jobs for youth. Council noted the county's minimum wage is tied to CPI.
  • Bethany Nishay (young entrepreneur, District 3): Called for more innovative recreation centers offering business, technology, and arts programs; noted that many youth spaces have disappeared. Councilmember Olson mentioned the Good Luck Community Center rebuild; Chair Orieta added that M-NCPPC had refused to implement a previously funded incubator and year-round jobs program, diverting funds to the building.
  • Kimberly Miles (Capitol Heights): Requested senior transportation options (like Bowie's shuttle) countywide, and raised noise enforcement issues. Councilmember Adams discussed a potential third-party noise enforcement model but cited cost and staffing challenges.
  • Don Dalton (final speaker, advocate for cannabis reinvestment): Praised the listening session for clarifications but urged council to support the Cannabis Restoration Board transparently; shared a negative experience with Social Services regarding a senior's utility assistance application, calling for accountability in agency management.

Discussion Items

  • Legislative Updates (Chair Orieta): Summarized packages passed: immigration (ICE employment restrictions, Safe Spaces, Resident Kidnapping Protection), community beautification (clean corridors, transparency dashboard, vacant property tax, illegal signage enforcement, "See It, Snap It, Get Paid"), child care (universal work group, scholarship, quality of life fund), data center moratorium, economic development (sit-down restaurant incentives, streamlined permitting). Upcoming focus areas: affordable housing, workforce development, streamlined development process, access to government information.
  • Cannabis Restoration Board: Chair Orieta noted the board will submit recommendations for spending cannabis funds; first town hall on September 17, 2026. Funds rolled from FY26 to FY27, resulting in $4M available.
  • Budget and Park Planning (Chair Orieta): Defended the council's decision to redirect $39M from M-NCPPC's building fund to operational services, citing the agency's $195M+ building expenditure and refusal to implement prior council mandates (incubator, jobs program). She stated the council added $1M for special needs, $1M for seniors, free swim classes, after-school busing, and summer camp scholarships.

Key Outcomes

  • Data Centers: Two-year moratorium remains in place; no data center will be approved during that period. Chair Orieta expressed personal support for a permanent ban. Councilmember Hunter stated she opposes data centers in all communities but wants to review all information. No vote was taken.
  • Child Care: Staff will follow up with Alejandra Condono and Carolina Reyes on work group participation and grant timelines; $2M scholarship program is being implemented; $500K provider grant program is being launched. Chair Orieta committed to sharing application dates.
  • HOA Commission: Chair Orieta confirmed that the FY27 budget includes funding to fully staff the commission; she will schedule a town hall and push for appointment of commissioners.
  • Senior Services: A $2M senior utility relief program will launch in coming months; Councilmember Hunter will introduce three options for senior property tax relief this session.
  • Animal Shelter: Chair Orieta will follow up on the Animal Advisory Committee status and policy compliance (spay/neuter).
  • Surplus Property Process: Chair Orieta suggested creating an additional checkpoint for surplus property sales to ensure community input before irrevocable decisions.
  • Noise Enforcement: Councilmember Adams indicated willingness to revisit a third-party noise enforcement model; the Nuisance Abatement Board remains an option for chronic violators.
  • Library Funding: Chair Orieta stated she received assurances that the library's financial discrepancies will be resolved for the next fiscal year.
  • Transportation and Traffic: Chair Orieta's office will follow up on Brandywine Heights Road traffic study; Vice Chair Olson will connect with resident about parking and speeding issues in District 3.
  • Social Services: Chair Orieta acknowledged the complaint about case backlog at Social Services and committed to raising the issue with the agency Director.

Note: No formal votes were taken; the meeting was a listening session. Council members committed to follow-up actions and further engagement.

Meeting Transcript

Welcome, residents of Prince Rogers County. This is the fall, the first of three fall listening tours for the Prince Urgis County Council. This is a chance for the council to hear from you to hear your concerns, your issues, and address them in real time. Council members may respond to some of your requests, or we have staff available to take any notes and reach back out after. Please remember to sign up if you have if you would like to speak and you haven't done so already. We have interpretation available in sign language and in Spanish. And some quick notes when speaking, please keep your comments at two minutes. We have a timer that will sound as soon as the time is up. And when referring to officials, please use their titles, for example, council member director. And with that, I will turn it over to Chair Oriada and the members of the County Council here today to provide some opening remarks and introductions. Thank you. Thank you so much. Good evening, everyone. We're so excited to see you here today. I'm Councilwoman Crystal Orieta. I have the pleasure of representing District 7 on the County Council and also serving as the uh chair for this year. Um this is our third set of listening sessions uh that we've done this year as a council. Um it was really important to me when I became chair. I heard people kind of loud and clear when they talked about how our council sessions are you know during the day. It's hard to come out and you know talk to uh the council members about the issues or concerns that you have. And so one of the things I uh really pride myself on wanting to do is come into the community. So the idea was that we as a body could come across the county, uh, north, central, and southern part of the county throughout the year to hear concerns. And then for myself and the vice chair, it was important to us because we represent distinct districts that have issues, but it's really helpful for each council member to hear different concerns from across the county because the concerns in one part of the district might look completely different. So it allows us to hear you, all of us to understand the concerns, so it also helps for each member to understand the advocacy of a different council member and why something's front and center for them, because that is the thing that their residents talk about, care about the most. And so that's what we hope to get from these listing tours. So I said it's the opportunity for you guys to talk about if there's like bread and butter issues, like constituent service issues, you can bring those up. If there's policy concerns, for example, types of issues and legislation you guys want us to address. This is also the time to bring those up. The idea is for us to just hear you. Um, not everything we'll have an answer for, not everything might not even be in our wheelhouse to address, um, but we want to make sure that you guys have the platform. So now I want to give my colleagues the opportunity for them to introduce themselves, then I'll do a high overview of some of the package priorities that we've already passed, some of the ones we know we're gonna work on next at this second half of the legislative session, and then for the rest of the evening, the floor is going to be to you all. So now I'll pass it to my vice chair. Uh good evening. It's great to be back here uh in Bowie. Um my name is Eric Olson. I'm the vice chair this year of the county council. I represent District 3, uh, which is uh College Barber, Owen Heights, New Carrollton, uh, Lanham, Seabrook, Landover Hills, those areas, Greater Riverdale area. Good evening, and thank you all for being here with us tonight. I'm Councilmember Danielle Hunter, and I proudly represent District 6. Look forward to hearing from you all tonight. Good evening, everyone, and welcome to District 4. Uh, we want to thank you for being out this evening and taking the time to make sure that we can hear what your voices are saying, so that we can hear what your needs are. You know, as I've said often, and I will say again, you know, our our agenda is your agenda. We're here for you, and we're here to represent you. Uh I'm excited to uh be here in District 4 to be home. But uh having said that, I'll turn it back over to our chair. Thank you so much. Um, so now I just want to go over some high-level um packages of parties that we've already worked on. So this is not an exhaustive list of the legislation package that we've done so far, but just want to highlight them because when we did our first listing tour, they're just uh examples of some of the things that came out of the listing tour and also the first survey that we put out as a uh council. Um, the first package dealt with immigration.

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