Mr. Nagro,

The North College Park Citizens Association held its monthly meeting on March 11 and, as we have done for many years, discussed what we would like to see in the upcoming City budget. While there was no resolution passed, a few ideas were suggested that may in keeping with the current economic times:

• Have additional recreational events for families with teens or with no children. An example was to bring back the summer concerts.
• Increase parking enforcement efforts to ticket cars on City streets that are parked illegally or in the wrong permit zone.
• Increase fees charged to landlords for the annual inspections to better cover the cost of those inspections.
• Work with the proper authorities to have the State enact legislation that would allow municipalities to obtain revenue from certain establishments within their boundaries; e.g., bars.
• Add a few more street lights to areas where that are currently too dark (no light on pole as opposed to light not working).
• Provide wireless Internet access at the Youth and Family Services building for children who use the drop-in center.

Thank you for considering these items.

Larry Bleau
NCPCA President
larrycp1@gmail.com
301-474-1338

Prince Georges Co. Police COPS Ofc. Sarita and Ofc. Taylor briefed the members on the recent crime incidents in the neighborhood.  The number of break-ins has gone down significantly compared to the similar numbers in the previous month.  The Police now have a suspect relating to the incident at St. Andrews Pl.  Last Thursday, there was a burglary around the area of Lackawanna Ave and the Mangum Rd. – the suspect ransacked everything in the house.  The area also had a stolen auto – an warrant has been issued against suspect living in DC. She said the COPS officers would be interested in coming to a future NCPCA meeting to make a presentation on the basic  Observation Skills course.

Gloria Blackwell, Assistant to the VP of Community Relations, Mr. Frank Brewer, Associate VP of Facilities Management, and Carlo Flow, Director of Capital Projects, from the University of Maryland updated members on their purchase and reuse of the Washington Post plant on Greenbelt Road. The new location will support the East Campus development and will thus save 22.4-acre forested area near Comcast Center known as the Wooded Hillock. The University will use the space to relocate facilities currently housed on East Campus to clear space for a 38-acre development that will include shops, a music hall and graduate student housing. The new facility will include the Campus Mail Facility, Shuttle-UM and maintenance shops, greenhouses, warehouses, motor pool and shops.  Around 150 employees will be located in the facility at its peak; however the UMD does not have any plan to transport them through shuttle service. There will be 288 parking spaces. There has not been any traffic study on the impact of the move. It will take around 1 to 3 years to complete the move. Mayor Andy Fellows added that The City has reached a Payment in lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement with the University that will make up for lost real estate taxes on the property however it does not include the personal property tax, as it used to get from the Washington Post from its press equipment; the PILOT, however, will be based on the assessed value of the commercial property and can fluctuate. Bob Catlin said the City may lose as much as $175,000 from the loss revenues.

President Larry Bleau reported he appointed Mark Shroder as Vice President and Mohammed Taluckder as Treasurer, wrote a letter to Board of Licensing Commissioners opposing the issuance of a liquor license for Azteca Restaurant/Bar, reviewed and corrected the membership roster, prepared a financial report for 2009, prepared a handout on Roberts Rules, and posted correspondence letters to the web site. VP Mark Shroder reported that NCPCA currently has 100 households with 171 voting members. Treasurer Mohammed Taluckder reported that the ending balances in PNC Bank and Chevy Chase Bank are $667.53 and $1,120.00 respectively.

Moved by Patrick Wojahn and seconded by Larry Marcu, the January 2010 minutes was approved.

Members discussed the use of NCPCA funds. Suggestions included spending on improving acoustics at the Davis Hall, community get together / refreshments / ice-cream socials, picnic and concerts.  Members will consider ideas and vote on a use of funds at a later meeting.

There was a discussion on the priorities of the upcoming FY2011 City budget. Council member Patrick Wojahn commented that due to anticipated loss of revenues / budget gap this year, he will not be submitting a ‘Wish list’ himself. He also said to generate more revenues, the City may raise the residential parking permit fees and the user fees (e.g. charges to landlords to inspect each rental unit), which have not been raised for a while. Mayor Andy Fellows said the top priority in the FY2011 budget will be to maintain essential services. Bob Catlin said the City currently has 4 million dollars in reserve. He also said the recent garage that the city built in downtown has 40-50% occupancies for the hourly parking and 50-60% for monthly parking. The budget issues can be revisited again at the March meeting.

Moved by Marcia Booth and seconded by Leslie Booth, the dissolution motion was brought to the floor: ”Dissolve NCPCA and let its members decide the use of its funds, since it does not reflect all citizens of the north College Park”. Moved by Peter Lakeland and seconded by Mark Shroder: “Table NCPCA dissolution motion” – the motion to table passed.

Patrick Wojahn announced the Envision Prince Georges meeting on 20 March 9:30 am – 3:30 pm at the Lanham Sports and Learning complex.  Residents need to pre-register at www.envisionprincegeorges.org in order to attend the March 20 M-NCPPC town hall meeting. Marcus Afzali announced a public hearing on the City’s draft strategic plan for the next five years at the City Hall on March 2, at 7:00pm.

Moved by Peter Lakeland and seconded by Leslie Booth, Adjourn the meeting.  Motion passed, and the meeting was adjourned at 9:10pm. 

Respectfully submitted by Fazlul Kabir, Secretary

Prince Georges Co. Police Sergeant Simms reported that there has been a spate of burglaries in the area. 24 police got involved series of incidents on Gerome St. on Jan 7; very active investigations are still continuing, several suspects are being looked at. He said crime alert system Nixle used by the PG police is under development and thus does not report all crimes accurately. He said there have been some 5000-7000 burglaries per year in the county, so the Nixle system only reports critical crimes. The response time to burglaries typically depends on available police vehicle, robbery is a priority call; house break-ins are not – they are treated as routine jobs. If a resident sees something suspicious, he asked to call 911, for the best response. The non-emergency number would take some time for response. Ofc. Taylor of the south College Park the community officer said that most burglaries happen during the day time (9am to 3am). He asked residents to call police supervisors in case of inadequate responses. They recently had a discussion with the Councilmembers on the recent crimes in north College Park. Their patrol included 300 miles per day in the Hollywood area. She asked residents to write down serial numbers of expensive items and join the VIP to protect their vehicle from theft.

James Burick and his business partner Mario Ollerena presented their plan for the Azteca, a new, white tablecloth, sit-down Mexican restaurant proposed for 9505 Baltimore Ave., near the intersection of Indian Road and Route One. Mr. Burick owns the building and intends to turn this into a restaurant, which will be open until 11pm weekdays, and until 2am weekends. There will be light late night entertainment. Type of license it’s applied is BLX (Beer and liquor), and have agreed to a food/liquor ratio of 55/45. The restaurant is expected be open on March 2010. The city is considering the liquor application for Azteca restaurant. Applicant proposes a shared-parking agreement with Duron Paints to meet parking needs. The City intends to send its recommendations on the liquor license to the licensing board for its hearing on January 26. The members later approved a motion (moved by Marcia Booth and seconded by Mary Cook) to oppose the restaurant and ask the City to vote against the liquor license application.

The City of College Park’s Planning Director Terry Schum made a presentation on the status of the planned and approved developments in north College Park. The TD commerce bank has been actively looking to buy the Hollywood Station located at the intersection of the north side of Rt1 and the Edgewood Rd. intersection, no deal has been reached yet. The City is looking to convert the old house located at the South East corner of the Rt 1 and Edgewood Rd. into a park (Hollywood Gateway Park). The Mazza project on Rt 1 will have 630 beds for graduate students and the parcel in front of the project along Route 1 is planned for two commercial retail pads.  The retail portion of the project may be revisited.  Developers are also looking into redevelopment / rebranding of the block where the current Ramada Hotel is located; the plan is in its very early stage. The Chinese Bible Church intends to build a new addition needs to file new site plan. The new contract purchaser and developer of the former JPI east site at Route 1 and Cherokee Street is currently exploring options for the site including utilizing the approved site plan but reducing the amount of retail and filing a new site plan for all townhouses (for purchase). The College Park Knoll project was sold to a developer called Daria land group; the project has 50-80 units for graduate students, there is parking under the building.

President Larry Bleau announced he received the resignations of Anna Ubeda (Treasurer) and John Krouse (Vice President) that morning.  Larry’s actions: delegated to John Krouse the task of applying to the City for a Community Service Grant to help with the cost of the picnic (John did not file the application); contacted Mary Lintner, President of Boys & Girls Club, who said they would be willing to distribute picnic flyers; and posted a new web page on myncpc.org about variances and the Variance Committee.  The officers discussed how to handle applications to join or renew, and clarified that policy to state that we will accept applications up to 10 minutes before a meeting, after the meeting ends, or by mail to the NCPCA address.  Larry reminded members of the NCPCA community picnic on Sat., May 15; volunteers should contact one of the officers. 

The bank balances, according to the Dec 2009 statements, are $667.53 (PNC Bank) and $1,120.00 (Chevy Chase Bank).

Moved by Mark Shroder and seconded by Peter Lakeland, the December 2009 minutes was approved.

The bylaws amendment, which was introduced in December, was brought to the floor for action.  Possible actions are debate, amend, postpone, or end debate and vote.  Moved by Don Byrd and Donna Ween to adjourn the meeting; this motion was later withdrawn.  Moved by Don Byrd and Christine Nagle to form a committee to discuss the subject of voting and report back within 60 days with recommendations; this motion failed on a roll call vote of 24-47-4.  A motion by Marcia Booth and Leslie Booth to dissolve the organization was ruled out of order due to lack of notice to members and because there was another motion under consideration; this will be on the Feb agenda. Parliamentarian Mark Shroder supported this interpretation.  There was no further debate.  The amendment, which requires a 2/3 vote to pass, failed on a vote of 15-47.

Moved by Mark Shroder and seconded by Peter Lakeland, extend the meeting.  Motion approved. Moved by Don Byrd and Valerie Bleau, allow the NCPCA President to fill the two vacant offices by appointment; motion passed.

Fazlul Kabir announced the second Winter Clothing Drive.

Moved by Seth Weene and Diana Claburn, Adjourn the meeting.  Motion passed, and the meeting adjourned at 9:57pm. 

Respectfully submitted by Fazlul Kabir, Secretary

PG County’s CRT police ofc. Melanie Sarita reported that there have been two home invasions, one on the 52^nd Avenue (November 28) and another on the Iroquois Street (December 5). Details of the incidents and locations are currently withheld due to impending investigations. Suspects are now held without bonds. It appeared that suspects targeted the locations due to easy targets – persons with disability living in those locations. There has been another similar incident happened in a Beltsville location. She also reported car break ins incident near Cherry Hill Rd / College Park Shopping complex and 52^nd Avenue.

The State of Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT)’s Assessor Manager (PG County) Daniel R. Puma made a presentation on the Residential Property Tax assessments and appeals process. The SDAT‘s next assessment report will be ready by December 29, 2009. The residents will have 45 days to appeal against the significant assessments. This makes February 12, 2010 as the last day for the appeal. SDAT is estimating a 20%-45% reduction in property values since its last assessment three years ago.  If the residents are not notified about the assessment, they can appeal every year before the January 1 of the following year. The appeal forms can be downloaded from the department’s website http://www.dat.state.md.us/.  A deferred maintenance or damages may qualify a re-assessment of the property. The SDAT can provide property values of a list of comparable houses in the neighborhood. SDAT only goes back up to a year to assess the property values of the comparable houses.  Rental properties are looked at the same manner as the property resided by the owner. Income stream is not used for the evaluation. Anybody can appeal on behalf of anyone.  Community appeal is also an option, however is typically rare.  SDAT only looks at arms-length sales; i.e., not foreclosures. In case the appeal is accepted, the applicant may request for a hearing at a convenient location.

In President’s report, Larry Bleau stated that he received forms for Community Services Grant from City and plan to apply; He ordered NCPCA signs, which were delivered on 11/23. He said Safe Routes To School, Phase 2, will involve sidewalk improvements along east side of 47^th Pl. from Lackawanna St. to Edgewood Rd., north side of Muskogee St. from 47^th Pl. to Mangum Rd. Construction to start spring 2010.

Treasurer Anna Ubeda reported that NCPCA spent $186.59 on signs, $124.62 on Stamps, $63.70 on printing and $39.00 on the copies of the Article of Incorporation. $60 has been collected towards renewals / new memberships. The current balance at the PNC and the Chevy Chase account are $679.55 and $1070.00 respectively.

Moved by Peter Lakeland, seconded by Mary Cook– November 2009 minutes was approved, motion passed, with the following corrections: 4^th paragraph, line 10 the word “reimbursed” should read “charged”.

John Krouse, (seconded by Don Byrd), introduced By-Laws changes in Article IV, Section 3, (Memberships / Due), Delete “For the purpose of these By-Laws family shall be construed to include all related persons living at the same address.” and insert: “For the purpose of these By-Laws household shall be one or two adults living at that address.” The amendment will be voted in January meeting.

Stephen Jascourt introduced proposed revisions for the Variance committee procedures. The major proposed changes include (1) Change size of committee from 3 to “3 to 5” to make it consistent with current practice (2) Change threshold for taking a position to require at least three identical votes; previously required unanimous vote (3) Explicitly state that different decisions may be made on different requests within the same case; was previously unclear (4) Urge committee members to state reasons for decision, and urge committee report to APC to include this reasoning (5) Chair to send report to designated NCPCA officer, which may be someone other than President; previously was sent to all officers, and when an officer is an APC member, this would not be permitted under APC rules (5) Report vote of committee to designated officers, but report only position to APC. The revised procedures were approved by the members.

Mark Shroder reported that the Commerce Bank Design Committee has not met; got an email from Michelle LaRocca promising to follow up on conceptual site plan and architecture, but she hasn’t yet.

Mark Spencer introduced himself as a candidate for the Prince George’s Co State Attorney election. Mary Lehman announce her candidacy in the upcoming the PG county (district 1) council election.

Patrick Wojahn announced a neighborhood cleanup on December 13. Marcus Afzali announced the website  http://Collegepark4.com which features issues surrounding district 4.

Moved by Mark Shroder and seconded by Marcia Bath Adjourn the meeting.  Motion passed, and the meeting adjourned at 9:30pm.

Respectfully submitted by Fazlul Kabir, Secretary

Officer Melanie Sarita could not be present due to a conflict with another engagement. However, Larry Bleau read a crime report she sent to NCPCA. She stopped by all of the hotels/motels along Baltimore Ave. from Greenbelt Rd. up to Cherry Hill Rd. The NED (Narcotics Enforcement Division) is well aware of some issues that go on at the hotels and currently have cases that they are investigating. NED is the unit within the department that handles prostitution. She also spoke with a few neighbors around Blackfoot Rd. and Cherokee St. and there has been a suspicious white male that has been in the area. According to the citizens they have not seen him conduct any criminal activity but, they were just concerned because he doesn’t live in that area. This was about 2 weeks ago. The male is about 5-10, thin build, and has a tattoo on his neck. In reference to theft from autos, the number has gone down significantly, however she suggested securing valuable items and keeping them from plain view. The cars that have been broken into are parked along Cherokee St, Magnum, and Edgewood on the west side of Rhode Island Ave. There have been a few houses that have been broken into in the College Park Woods area on Davidson St. and Marlborough Way. One of the houses is on Davidson St. where she is working with detectives for a suspect. She also reported a shooting that occurred at the 7-11 on Baltimore Ave. The suspect entered the 7-11 and announced a robbery. Officers arrived on scene and the suspect came out of the 7-11 and lunged at an officer and the suspect was shot – Investigation is pending. Ofc. Sarita also cautioned the members that criminals seek the opportunity to commit crimes during the upcoming holiday’s season. When shopping she suggested to be aware of the surroundings and not to carry large amounts of cash. She also reported that she spoke with Kim Lugo and she is planning a neighborhood watch meeting within the next couple of weeks. She will send that date if anyone is interested in coming.  

Matt Dernoga and Laura Calabrese of the UMD for Clean Energy gave a brief presentation on the organization and what it does. They advocate programs to make the City a sustainable greener place. In the past Council election, they’ve interviewed most candidates on the issues such as transportation and environments and made subsequent endorsements. They are also working with the City Council on a loan fund to make city residences more energy efficient. They stressed on establishing collaborative programs with NCPCA on such programs. 

In President’s report, Larry Bleau announced that NCPCA’s community picnic has been rescheduled for next spring.. If anyone would like to volunteer, he asked to contact John Krouse at 301-345-1242, email johnkrouse@yahoo.com . He announced that Safe Routes To School, Phase 2, will involve sidewalk improvements along east side of 47^th Pl. from Lackawanna St. to Edgewood Rd., north side of Muskogee St. from 47^th Pl. to Mangum Rd. Some bushes, vegetation, or fence in City right-of-way will be removed at four locations. Construction will start spring 2010; a flyer is available. He also announced Preliminary Central US 1 Corridor Sector Plan and Proposed Sectional Amendment is scheduled to be adopted Thursday, December 10; no new public testimony will be permitted.  He reported that a community notification service run by nixle.com can send local notices and alerts from police by email or text message; he recommends members investigate. 

Treasurer Anna Ubeda reported that NCPCA has opened a new account at the Chevy Chase Bank at the Shoppers branch on Cherry Hill Road. After the initial deposit, the balance at the Chevy Chase account is $1010.00; there are no fees. The current balance at the old PNC account is $1072.90. The PNC has charged $1.50 to NCPCA towards fees. 

Moved by Peter Lakeland, seconded by Bill Robertson – October 2009 Minutes approved, motion passed  

Arif Kabir, NCPCA’s website committee chair reported that he uploaded NCPCA article of incorporation to the website and created a new page on the Neighborhood Watch program. 

On behalf of the Variance Committee, Larry Bleau reported the APC’s decisions on the 4 variances from last month: (1) CPV-2009-09, 9502 50^th Pl., carport, lot coverage, shed setbacks: recommended approval of 3% lot coverage and several other setbacks, applicant requested more, applicant agreed to remove one shed to reduce lot coverage. (2) CPV-2009-11, 5027 Muskogee St., new driveway partly in front of house: recommend approval of waiver for 10ft wide driveway (10.5ft requested, 9.5ft recommended by staff). (3) CPV-2009-06, 9030 Rhode Island Ave., new addition on triangular property: recommend approval of both setbacks. (4) CPV-2009-13, Muskogee St., ten foot fence: recommend denial of request. 

On the Commerce Bank project, formerly known as Hollywood Station, Mark Schroder reported that the committee has not met; they’ve however received an email from Michelle LaRocca promising to follow up. 

Larry Bleau reported that he contacted two companies, ArtAtWork (local) and SuperCheapSigns (online), obtained estimates to purchase NCPCA signs, and designed the signs. The officers decided to use SuperCheapSigns. To buy 25 signs, stakes and shipping from the SuperCheapSigns would cost just over $187. Moved by John Krouse and seconded by Don Byrd, authorize the purchase of signs, motion approved. John volunteered to store the signs in between meetings. Volunteers are needed to set up and take down the signs each month. 

Members held an extended discussion of the voting and dues model used by NCPCA, and other possible models: (1) One Vote per Person, Dues Cover All at One Address (2) One Vote per Person, Each Must Pay Dues (3) One Vote per Address, Dues Cover All (4) One Vote per Address, optional Dues. No motions were made, and nothing was decided. 

Brian McDaniel announced his candidacy for MD State 21st Delegate position. 

Fazlul Kabir collected canned and dry food for the needy families in the area as part of his Fall Food Drive. 

Moved by Don Byrd, Adjourn the meeting.  Motion passed, and the meeting adjourned at 9:25pm. 

Respectfully submitted by Fazlul Kabir, Secretary

The meeting started with Candidate Forum, which was moderated by NCPCA Vice President John Krouse and NCPCA Treasurer Anna Ubeda. The candidates present in the forum were: Larry Bleau, Fazlul Kabir, Christine Nagle and Patrick Wojahn from District 1; Jack Perry and Robert Weber from District 2. Bob Catlin, also from District 2, joined later. The uncontested Mayoral candidate Andy Fellows was also present. Due to a conflict of another engagement, candidates from District 4 could not join. Each candidate was first asked to introduce themselves. This followed by three questions for each candidate; there were two additional questions for the Mayoral candidate.

The County Police’s Community Response Team (CRT) Officer Melanie Sarita spoke to members about recent crimes in the area. The number of crimes in the area went down recently, yet there have been a few incidents of theft and robbery in the past month. In one incident, they have a person of interest in the case of a pawned GPS. There were three incidents of theft from autos on Cherry Hill Road, and another incident of robbery from a Metro bus passenger. She suggested looking around and being aware of one’s surroundings when getting off Metro buses. Councilmember Wojahn suggested residents owning GPS devices write down serial number of the device; since it is fairly easy to track down a stolen GPS device from a national database. There was a fatal accident on Rhode Island Ave. two weeks ago when a speeding vehicle tried to pass another vehicle and collided with an oncoming vehicle. On November 7 at the United Methodist Church there will be a seminar titled “Am I Safe” on crime prevention.

Chris Nagle made a brief presentation on the Sep 28 meeting at City Hall between two members of the Board of Education and the City’s Education Advisory Committee to address the overcrowding issues at the Hollywood elementary school. The Board is currently looking into several options, including re-bounderying the school district and the provide special programs to neighboring schools.

President Larry Bleau announced that the NCPCA’s community picnic has been rescheduled for next spring. He wrote a letter to District Council and M-NCPPC stating NCPCA’s earlier positions on the US 1 Sector Plan; wrote a letter to MD Dept. of Assessments and taxation requesting a copy of NCPCA’s Articles of Incorporation; contacted members of the design committee for the old house at Edgewood and US 1, and appointed a two more members, Bob Seward and Donna Weene; sent email to City Planning staff asking for an update on the blocked sidewalk along Greenbelt Road;; and communicated with Public Services re placing NCPCA meeting announcement signs on public right-of-way.

Treasurer Anna Ubeda reported ending balance of $2003.82. $90 has been deposited towards renewal, $44 was spent on stamps, $19.80 was spent refreshments and $14.84 was spent for copy. NCPCA’s official bank, PNC Bank, refunded $3.00 towards fees.

Vice President John Krouse announced that he has recently accepted the responsibility of NCPCA’s membersip list and introduced a new way of keeping records of attending members in the meeting.

Secretary Fazlul Kabir announced that he contacted many members about renewals; currently NCPCA has 62 active members, he expected to have 20 more members through renewals and new memberships. He also updated the NCPCA site http://myncpca.org with the September 2009 minutes.

Members voted to approve variance CPV-2009-06, allowing setbacks from the Rhode Island Ave service road and from the neighboring property. The proposed addition would have the same setback from the Rhode Island Ave service road as the existing house. Members also voted on variance CPV-2009-09 to allowing 18 inches instead of 2 feet for offset from neighboring properties for 2 sheds and the carport, total lot coverage of 189 sq ft in excess of the 30% limit, and setback of 58 ft instead of 60 ft from the street for one of the sheds.

Moved by Peter Lakeland / Bill Robertson: approve the June 2009 minutes.  Motion passed.  Moved by Peter Lakeland / Mark Shroder: approve the September 2009 minutes.  Motion passed.

Jack Perry reminded members of the need for election judges on November 3.  Interested members should contact Jack Robson, Elections Commission Chair, at City Hall 301-864-8666.

Members discussed at length several proposed amendments in the Master Plan of Transportation. Members voted In favor of proposed amendment 12, item 15, No. 122 Rhode Island Trolley Trail, to extend the Project Limit to Quimby Avenue and make other minor changes; in favor of proposed amendment 12, item 16, to add a project for Bike Lanes on Edgewood Road from US 1 east to 53rd Avenue; in favor of proposed amendment 12, item 18, to delete the Pedestrian bridge from College Park; in favor of proposed amendment 30, item 9, to reduce the number of lanes on Rhode Island Avenue to 2; and opposed to amendment 30, item 15, P-200 Autoville Drive, to change the limits of the project.  NCPCA requests the outright deletion of P-200, rather than just changing its limits.

Patrick Wojahn asked members to volunteer The PGCPS – C.A.R.E.S. Reading Together Program, which  is a partnership between The State’s Attorney’s Office and Prince George’s County Public Schools.  The program organizers are currently looking for adult volunteers to tutor second grade students once a week at five of our six host schools: The Methodist Church on the Rhode Island Ave will organize a safety session “How can I make me safe” on November 7.

Members voted to approve variance CPV-2009-06, allowing setbacks from the Rhode Island Ave service road and from the neighboring property. The proposed addition would have the same setback from the Rhode Island Ave service road as the existing house. Members also voted on variance CPV-2009-09 to allowing 18 inches instead of 2 feet for offset from neighboring properties for 2 sheds and the carport, total lot coverage of 189 sq ft in excess of the 30% limit, and setback of 58 ft instead of 60 ft from the street for one of the sheds.

Moved by Peter Lakeland and seconded by John Krouse, Adjourn the meeting.  Motion passed, and the meeting adjourned at 10:05pm.

Respectfully submitted by Fazlul Kabir, Secretary

The meeting started with a report from the Police – Community Response Team Officer Melanie Sarita. Ofc. Sarita spoke to members about recent crimes in the area. There has been a spate of thefts from cars. She suggested that to protect belongings, residents should lock car doors, and not to leave GPS devices in plain view.

County transportation planner Maureen P. Wilson briefed members on the current state of plans to install a traffic signal at the intersection of Edgewood Rd. and Rhode Island Ave. They described how the approaches would be widened to three lanes in all four directions, certain accesses would be closed off and others opened up, utility lines relocated, and the anticipated manner in which the signal would operate. The planners took back with them several suggestions made by members. The planners only discussed the adding of a traffic signal, not improvements to other parts of Rhode Island Ave; the design of the latter has not yet been funded.

Developer  Michele LaRocca briefed the members on the development of the Hollywood Station (old house at corner of Edgewood Rd at US 1). So far, no potential tenants have signed leases. The property owner wants to change the land use and build a bank instead of an office building, and Commerce Bank is interested. The developer would like community input to the design process. There was no objection to reforming the advisory committee that worked with Ms. LaRocca. Those who are interested in participating in this design should contact NCPCA President Larry Bleau.

President Larry Bleau announced that CBE is sponsoring a Rain Garden workshop on October 24; announced the public hearing on the Central US 1 Corridor Sector Plan on Tuesday, Sep. 15, in Upper Marlboro; sent a letter to Public Works on NCPCA recommendations on location of trash receptacles; invited Ofc. Senobio and Maureen Wilson to this evening’s meeting; and sent Mr. Dernoga an updated NCPCA flyer by email, which Mr. Dernoga offered to copy and distribute. He also received an email from Eileen Nivera (M-NCPPC) re the Sunnyside Playground, who reported that, as of June 22, construction drawings were about 90% complete, and it will take approximately 10-12 weeks to process the paperwork, order the equipment, have it shipped and start construction once the drawings are finished. The construction should take around 1 month.

Treasurer Anna Ubeda reported the ending balance was $1989.46, $185 has been deposited, $44 was spent on stamps, and $24.96 was spent for copying.  NCPCA official bank, PNC Bank, started charging us high fees, so the officers will look for another bank for NCPCA’s funds. Mark Shroder moved to authorize the officers to search for and change the bank NCPCA uses; motion passed.

The June 2009 minutes was not discussed or adopted.

Larry Bleau reported on behalf of Stephen Jascourt, chair of the Variance Committee, who could not attend. There were two variance cases, neither of which received feedback from the committee.

Arif Kabir, NCPCA’s website committee chair updated the members on the website. The bios of the new officers are now added, the committee is still looking for pictures of the neighborhood or its events.

Several candidates for City Council introduced themselves and declared their candidacy. They were: Andrew Fellows for Mayor; Larry Bleau, Fazlul Kabir, Christine Nagel and Patrick Wojahn for District 1 Councilmember; and Marcus Afzali for District 4 Councilmember.

Samir Kabir announced that he is collecting school supplies for needy children of the local schools in the neighborhood.

Councilmember Patrick Wojahn announced that on Monday, September 28, at 7:30 pm at Davis Hall, the Education Advisory Committee will be meeting to discuss ways to address the overcrowding issue at Hollywood Elementary School.  Hollywood is currently in the top ten most overcrowded elementary schools in Prince George’s County, and is slated to be in the top five most overcrowded schools by 2015, and the school has been forced to use temporary trailers and storage areas as classrooms.  PGCPS currently has no plan to address this overcrowding.  The meeting will be an opportunity to discuss possible solutions to this problem with College Park’s two Board of Education representatives.

Moved by Kennis Termini and seconded by Peter Lakeland, Adjourn the meeting.  Motion passed, and the meeting adjourned at 9:35pm.

Respectfully submitted by Fazlul Kabir, Secretary

The meeting started with the officers’ election for the year 2009-2010. Donna Weene and Seth Weene conducted the elections. The candidates were Larry Bleau for President, John Krouse for Vice President, Fazlul Kabir for Secretary and Mohammed Taluckder for Treasurer. Members could also vote through write-ins. Before the members cast their ballots, candidates spoke briefly about their plans if they are elected. The election results were as follows: Larry Bleau was elected President (20 votes, Christine Nagle received 1 by write-in); John Krouse was elected Vice President (Peter Lakeland received 2 votes through write-in); and Fazlul Kabir was elected Secretary (21 votes). For Treasurer, Mohammed Taluckder and Anna Ubeda each received 11 votes (Christine Nagle received 1 by write-in). In a run-off election, Anna Ubeda was elected Treasurer (15 votes, Mohammed Taluckder received 7 votes).

Officer Rich of the County’s Community Response Team (CRT) gave a report on crimes in our area during the period of 5/11 to 6/10. There were 26 thefts from autos, 5 thefts / shoplifting (3 arrests), 1 commercial breaking & entering, 5 residential breaking & entering, 1 school breaking and entering, and 5 stolen vehicles. To prevent theft from vehicles, he suggested residents not leave valuables in plain sight, lock doors, park in well lit areas, when home park on the driveway or garage, and remove GPS devices from vehicles when parked. To prevent burglary, he suggested we keep doors and windows locked when not at home or sleeping, not leave garage doors open, pull curtains and blinds closed at night, leave some lights on when not at home, and stop mail and newspaper when away. He left some brochures describing these tips on reducing thefts from cars and homes. The CRT team is considering hosting summer programs to educate residents. Officer Rich (ID#2831) can be contacted using email (mmrich@co.pg.md.us) or telephone (301-699-2950). His supervisor’s contact info is: Sgt. Duelley (ID #1380), email cwduelly@co.pg.md.us, telephone 301-699-2876. Lisa Ealley expressed concerns on communication with the department. Ofc. Rich said email is the best way to contact him. Ruth Herbert expressed concerns on the May and early June car break-ins. Ofc. Rich also expressed concerns on FedEx package theft, which is not common.

Moved by Bill Robertson, and seconded by Peter Lakeland, approve the May 2009 meeting minutes with the following corrections: in the Minutes section ‘March 2009’ should read ‘April 2009’, in the Treasurer’s report (2^nd line) balance 1775.93 should read 1765.18. In the Announcement section second line: ‘Davies’ should read ‘Davis’.

President Larry Bleau announced that CBE is sponsoring a workshop on stormwater management on Sat., June 13, from 10 am-noon. Contact Elisa Vitale at 301-277-3445. He reported taking the following actions: confirmed that Robert Stumpff, Ofc. Rich, and Chad Williams would attend the June meeting; asked Kennis Termini to handle Variance Committee matters for this month; uploaded minutes to email list site and asked Web Committee to upload minutes to NCPCA’s web site; received a police activity report from Public Services and sent to email list; received Economic Development report from City; and contacted Planning Dept. about the status of the properties on either side of Edgewood Rd. at US 1. On the north side, the development for the property was approved by the Planning Board but nothing more has happened. The owner will not build a “spec” office building; i.e., without any tenant commitments.  On the south side, the City just got approval from the State to purchase the property and will be going to settlement in the next 1-2 months.

Treasurer Anna Ubeda reported ending balance of $1868.21. NCPCA official bank, PNC Bank, had charged a fee of $56.63 because they had classified the account incorrectly. After the account type had been changed to rectify this, the bank refunded $50 to NCPCA.

There was no report from the Variance committee.

Members suggested additional locations of Trash Receptacles in the city: (1) the corner of Huron and 51st; (2) the corner of Edgewood and 53rd (3) the corner of Narragansett and Lackawanna (4) the corner of Cherokee and Rhode Island at the bus stop; and (5)  the corner of Cherry Hill and 47th. Members also suggested locations for crosswalks, if they are not already present, at (1) Lackawanna St. near the Metro; (2) Narragansett and Edgewood; and (3) at major bus stops.  The bike path crossing of Cherry Hill Rd. should also be examined for improvements.  Public Works department head Bob Stumpff was present during the discussion period.

Chad Williams, Project Leader, M-NCPPC, Prince George’s County Planning Department, Community Planning North Division (email: chad.williams@ppd.mncppc.org, phone: 301-952-3179) gave a presentation on the mixed use, form based code being developed by Park and Planning. Its intent is to create a “sense of place” in urban-like centers where there is high pedestrian traffic. This Urban Center code (UC) would emphasize how buildings and structures would appear (height, siting, size, window and door openings, color, etc.). The current code emphasizes how the land is used and says little about its appearance. This new code, if adopted, would apply only to areas designated by the District Council as urban centers; the current code would continue to apply in other areas of the county not so designated. The new code envisions standards to be set up when the urban center is designated and not changed thereafter, with a faster approval process for businesses. The current code does not have such standards, each project is negotiated individually as to its siting, appearance, etc. There was a Q&A session at the end of the presentation. More details of the presentations and background reports are available online at http://www.pgplanning.org/Projects/Ongoing_Plans_and_Projects/Community_Plans/Mixed-Use.htm , a link to which can also be found on NCPCA’s web site, http://myncpca.org/links/ .  Mr. Williams announced a public meeting hosted by M-NCPPC on the proposed code at the Prince Georges Ballroom, 2411 Pinebrook Ave., Landover, MD, to be held on Monday, June 15, 7-9pm.

Brian McDaniel, who is running for MD House of Delegates position in the 21st Delegation in 2010, spoke to members; his web site is http://voteforbrianmcdaniel.com. Andy Fellows reminded members that he is running for Mayor of College Park. Eric Olson, County Councilmember for County district 3 (http://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/district3/), reassured members he and Tom Dernoga (http://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/district1/) will look at the form based code carefully, and will not take any action until the fall.

Moved by Bill Robertson Adjourn the meeting.  Motion passed, and the meeting adjourned at 9:46pm.

Respectfully submitted by Fazlul Kabir, Secretary

Community Response Team – Officer.Rich could not be present at the meeting  due to a prior engagement. He will be invited in the June meeting.

Edgewood Road and Rhode Island Ave. Intersection -  President Larry Bleau gave a short report on the Edgewood Road and Rhode Island Ave. intersection improvement progress. The County anticipates three changes in their plan to modify the intersection and install a traffic signal: (1) Extend the existing concrete median island between the access and egress to the REI shopping center. This would provide a safe area for bicyclists to travel along Rhode Island Avenue leading up to the intersection; encourage vehicles to travel slower as they approach the intersection; and reduce the asphalt surface area to be maintained in the future. (2) Eliminate the access point of Nantucket Road onto main Rhode Island Avenue. There is safety concern about the intersection being too close to the improvements at Edgewood Road. Currently, vehicles start from a stop position at the stop signs. With a traffic signal, when it is green there will a steady stream of traffic.  (3) Redirect access to the Hollywood Elementary School from the current crosswalk location at the REI driveway to the crosswalk at the new signalized intersection. Crossing at the signalized intersection is safer then at mid-block. County staff is currently discussing this matter with the School Board. Members asked to have a representative from County Transportation dept. at a future NCPCA meeting.

March 2009 Minutes- Moved by John Krouse, and seconded by Ann Riley, approve the March 2009 meeting minutes with the following corrections: the 3rd line in paragraph 3, ‘Hampton Inn’ should read ‘Howard Johnson’.

President’s Report- Larry Bleau stated that he (1) appointed the remaining members of Nominating Committee and sent them a membership list (Kennis, Sarwar, Chris) (2) corresponded with Arif Kabir, chair, Website Committee, about updates to NCPCA’s web site (myncpca.org) (3) inquired of City staff if they have any good pictures of North College Park (no response yet) (4) asked Public Services if signs announcing NCPCA’s meeting can be posted on city right-of-way (they cannot) (5) testified before City Council on the FY2010 Budget and Constant Yield Tax Rate hearings and put forward NCPCA’s position (6) contacted an NCPCA officer (Anna) to get a quote for additional signs to announce our meeting (7) spoke with City Public Works Director Robert Stumpff, who wanted to know where NCPCA wants to locate the additional trash cans. Larry invited him to the June meeting (Members: In the meanwhile think about locations) (8) appointed Stephen Jascourt as the new chair of Variance Committee, effective 6/10. He asked Kennis Termini to handle matters for this month.

Treasurer’s Report-  Anna Ubeda was out of the town. In her absence, President Larry Bleau reported expenses of $124.13, ending balance $1775.93.

Secretary’s Report-  Fazlul Kabir stated that there are currently 90 members and only about one-thirds of them have renewed their memberships so far.

Variance Committee Report_ Kennis Termini stated that the committee considered two cases.  The first case (CPV-20009-04) included a waiver of the parking area requirement, a variance of 3.3% from the 30% lot coverage requirement, a variance of 7 feet from the 8 feet minimum side yard setback requirement, and a variance of 5 feet from the 17 foot minimum combined side yard setback requirement, in order to widen the driveway by 16 feet and to validate an existing carport. The second variance (CPV-2009-03) was a request for variances of 2.44 feet from the 10 foot setback from the street for the existing building, 9.45 feet from the required 12 feet from the side of the side lot, and 25 feet from the rear lot line. This was for a commercial building.  The committee voted 1 yes, 1 no and 1 abstention (the member was out of town) on both cases.

Website Committee Update- Chair Arif Kabir gave an update on the development of NCPCA’s website http://myncpca.org .  The committee received a list of items from the Board. Since the last meeting, it has added a page on useful links and plans to add other pages as suggested by the officers. Mark Shroder commented that the site looks simple and easy to navigate and asked the committee to keep its layout the same in the future.

Nominating Committee Report- Christine Nagle presented the committee’s report on nominations for the June election. The other two committee members are Mohammad Sarwar and Kennis Termini. Nominations were: Larry Bleau (President), John Krouse (Vice President), and Fazlul Kabir (Secretary). The committee had no nomination for treasurer.  Larry Bleau invited members for nomination from the floor. Mohammad Taluckder volunteered to serve as Treasurer. Moved by Anne Riley and seconded by Bill Robertson- Close nominations for the coming year.  Motion was adopted. Note: Members can still write in other members’ names on the June election ballot.

Donna Weene volunteered to head the Election Committee.

Procedure of Elections- Discussion was held on procedures for the June elections and membership. A request was made by Kennis to have id’s shown at time of joining or renewal, also to change membership to $10 per individual instead of per family.  Moved by Bill Robertson and Alan Hew: Have members pay the dues by the end of May meeting and new members pay by the start of the June meeting to be able to vote in the June election. Fazlul Kabir pointed out that such motion would cause conflict with the by-laws which states that any member is eligible to vote in any NCPCA business matter if the dues are paid before the start of the meeting. Motion was withdrawn. Mark Schroder commented that adding restrictions such as residency verification may discourage new memberships. John Krouse asked not to use strict membership verification, instead asked officers to make sure new members fill out the address section on the membership application form. Members decided in a vote of 11-10, that those who join or renew membership in NCPCA need to show evidence of their residency. If payment is by check that has the address written on it, that is sufficient; otherwise, a driver’s license or utility bill.

Announcements- Patrick Wojahn announced that the Committee for the Better Environment will be hosting a Rain Barrel workshop at the Davies Hall on Saturday, June 13 from 10 am to 1 pm. Attendance is limited and members must pre register for the event by contacting Elisa Vitale  at 301-277-3445 or cpcbeworkshop@gmail.com. The first 20 College Park residents who pre-register for the workshop will receive a free pre-assembled 55-gallon rain barrel.

Legislative Update from the 21st Delegation- Senator Jim Rosapepe, Delegates Barbara Frush, Ben Barnes and Joseline Pena Melnyk presented their report on the 2009 Maryland Legislative session which ended on April 13. They highlighted the main achievements that include the use of President Obama’s economic stimulus funds to keep teachers in schools, expand and increase unemployment insurance to those in need, freeze college tuition rates for local students at the University of Maryland., expand medical insurance to those without it., invest in energy conservation and renewable fuels, reduce pollution of the Chesapeake Bay by repairing sewer pipes, and help protect neighborhoods by financing purchase of foreclosed homes. They also worked to re-regulate electric rates, which passed the Senate, but not the House. Led by Delegate Frush, they passed a bill to keep the Laurel Regional Hospital open. They passed Delegate Joseline Pena Melnyk’s bill (HB 641) to allow women-owned minority business to win state contracts in the Minority Business Enterprise Program. They also passed legislation drafted by Del. Barnes to keep guns out of the hands of abusers. They passed a law allowing speed cameras on streets and highways near schools and construction zones. They successfully opposed state funds to build a soccer stadium In Prince George’s County and passed a bill to address global warming by setting caps on carbon emissions.

Moved by Mark Shroder, and Peter Lakeland, extend the meeting beyond 9:30. The motion passed.

Delegates accepted members’ questions and comments. Chris Nagle asked whether the delegation had thought about trying some type of legislation like the ordinance proposed in Baltimore City that would allow people to stay in their homes for 365 days after foreclosure proceedings had been completed. Peter Lakeland asked Del. Barnes ( a member of the Assembly’s Judiciary Committee) to comment on press reports that less than 25% of criminal cases in Prince George’s County are ever brought to a completion. Barnes said that much of the problem is attributable to a shortage of county prosecutors. Despite the Assembly’s  urging, the County Executive alleges to he is bound by a tight budget. Mark Shroder thanked the Delegates for their foreclosure bill. Donna Weene expressed concerns on the prostitution problems around the hotels on Route 1.

Moved by Peter Lakeland: Adjourn the meeting.  Motion passed, and the meeting adjourned at 9:45pm.

Respectfully submitted by Fazlul Kabir, Secretary.

Officer M. Rich of the Prince George’s County Police Department gave a presentation on the Community Response Team (CRT) program.  The CRT program is a new initiative adopted by several police departments across the nation involving the community and local county police.  CRT has been active in two parts of District 1 of Prince George’s County; each part having seven sections.  Ofc. Rich has been appointed to coordinate with the various community groups in the northern part of District 1, which includes North College Park.  He also worked in the Langley Park area for the past 5 years.  During the Q+A period, he suggested that members not allow expensive items to be visible from the outside of the residences, and to contact the police by calling 911 as soon as any suspicious activity is seen in the neighborhood.  To express concerns on community policing in your area contact Ofc. Rich directly at 301-699-2630 or by email at mmrich@co.pg.md.us . Neighborhood crime rate statistics can be found on the county’s website, and on www.crimereports.com.  He said that all 911 calls go to the call center; depending on the nature of the crime, the response times may vary.  Members expressed concerns on prostitution problems in several hotels on Rt. 1; Officer Rich opined that addressing such problems needs sting operations and full cooperation from the hotel administrations.  Members also expressed concerns on the annoying congestion problem at Rt. 1 and Cherry Hill Road that sometimes blocks Rt.1 and high–speed traffic racing / noise pollution on the Greenbelt Road.

Three representatives of Baywood Hotels – Paul Williams, director of development; Daniel F. Lynch, a zoning attorney; and Edward R. Umbrell, PE, of Bohler Engineering – gave a presentation on the proposed development of the hotels on the east side of US 1 between Cherokee St. and Delaware St., current site of the Ramada Inn, Days Inn, and Howard Johnson.  The proposal would keep the Ramada Inn but get rid of the other two and replace them with new hotels: Springhill Suites, owned by Marriot, and Homewood Suites, owned by Hilton.  There would also be small retail or office use at the southern end of the property, the exact type to be determined.  Springhill Suites would be for extended stay and have 106 rooms, each with a kitchenette.  There will be an indoor pool, meeting rooms, and an outdoor terrace for eating.  Homewood Suites would target business travelers with a typical stay of more than one week and would have 108 rooms, each with a cook top kitchen.  There will be lounge space, pool table, and spa.  The new hotels will increase the total number of rooms from about 200 to 275, and the new buildings would each be 4 high stories at the front entrance.  Parking would be 60% below ground, and 40% surface parking located at the rear and separated from residences by a 30’ landscape buffer.  There would be two access points: a right-in-right-out at US 1, and one on Cherokee St.  The air handler would be on the roof, which will be flat.  The dumpster will be at the basement level at the rear.  Outside lights will be focused down on the parking lot.  For runoff, there will be an underground water retention facility on the property.  Baywood Hotels, which owns the property, has not filed a detailed site plan yet, and would like input as to landscaping and other aspects.  The timeline is 6 months to file the detail site plan, 6-9 months for permits, and 18 months for construction.  Members asked Baywood Hotels to come back to the association once its detail site plan is ready.

The March Minutes were adopted with the following correction on the treasurer’s report (5^th paragraph): printing $22.68, office supplies $40.03.

In the Presidents’ report, Larry Bleau stated that he sent a letter to Richard Hughes, Maryland Heritage Areas Program Administrator, in support of City grant application for improvement of Lackwanna St. streetscape, with copy to City Council; corresponded with Arif Kabir, chair, Website Committee, about updates to NCPCA’s web site; and reviewed the Council Wish List part of proposed City FY2010 budget.  (See separate report below.) Vice President Peter Lakeland announced his decision not to run for the V.P. position in the upcoming June election. Treasurer Anna Ubeda reported expenses of $84 (stamps) and $21.41 (printing) in the previous month, and a balance of $1,705.18.  Secretary Fazlul Kabir asked everyone to renew their annual memberships. President Larry Bleau reported that he appointed Christine Nagle to the Nominating Committee for the upcoming June’s annual officers’ election, and invited Mohammad Sarwar, who accepted the appointment at the meeting.  Larry encouraged other members to volunteer for this committee.

President Larry Bleau summarized how NCPCA’s budget priorities were included in the City’s proposed FY2010 budget.  Most were included in the current budget or were on the Council Wish List; see attachment for details.  Councilmember Patrick Wojahn reported that the city will be contributing $25,000 towards the capital improvement project.  He also asked members to attend the May 5 budget hearing.  

Moved by Margaret Wood and seconded by Joan Carol Poor: Remove reserving funds to widen the south side of Edgewood Road at the Rt. 1 intersection from NCPCA’s budget priority list.  Motion passed 8-4.

President Larry Bleau reported to members the Board’s evaluation of the various suggestions on how to improve NCPCA (see attachment).  The Board will follow up on most of these; some were not practical or were too costly.

Website committee chair Arif Kabir gave an update on the development of NCPCA’s website http://myncpca.org .  Currently the site contains the agenda of the current month, a map of Davis Hall, and separate pages for by-laws, minutes, officers’ bios and a contact page.  The minutes page currently hosts all minutes from Jan’07 to March’09.  The website content can be searched using a search box located on every page.  The committee hopes to add pages for archived files and event pictures.  Members were requested to send pictures of their neighborhood to the committee members.  Anna Ubeda stated that the committee should be careful in placing pictures on the site, citing privacy issues.  Fazlul Kabir stated that the website’s domain is currently registered in the name of the organization and that no officer’s name is listed in the contact list.

During Announcements, Councilmember Patrick Wojahn stated that the city is still looking for a chair for the Veterans Memorial Improvement Commission and people to serve on the Cable Television Commission.  He thanked volunteers, in particular from the Al Huda community and the UM Greek student body, for participating in the April 18 spring clean up and tree planting.  Bob Swanson thanked the UM authority for its decision to redirect traffic on Rt. 1 during the Maryland Day.  Bill Robertson warned members of a business painting house numbers on the street curb without a license.  Mark Shroder noted that Jack Perry is seriously ill; a proposal to send a card on behalf of NCPCA was adopted.  Stasia Hutchison, on behalf of her daughter Caitlyn Hutchison, collected coins to donate to the World Wildlife Fund for their Time for Change Earth Day campaign.  Andy Fellows announced his decision to run for Mayor this November.  Councilmember Mary Cook asked members to make sure their doors remain locked as advised by the Neighborhood Watch.  Mr. Jilani, owner of the World Grocery on Edgewood Road, introduced his store, which sells American and multi-ethnic foods and is open from 9am-9pm daily.

Moved by Bill Robertson Carol Poor: Adjourn the meeting.  Motion passed, meeting adjourned at 9:40pm.

Respectfully submitted by Fazlul Kabir, Secretary.

Attachment 1 – NCPCA Budget Priorities

Here is how the proposed City budget incorporates NCPCA’s budget priorities/projects; status in italics.

1. Enacted by City Council, Ordinance 09-O-01, on 3/24. Budget amount $30,000.

2.    Paint crosswalks across streets that have significant pedestrian traffic.  Lackawanna St., for example. Crosswalks would cost $50 apiece. The FY10 budget includes fuinding for 6 new crosswalks.

3.    Refund, or decrease the amount of, the City portion of property taxes. No estimate given.

1. Install about 8 attractive new trash receptacles on concrete pads with landscaping at bus stops and high foot traffic areas.  The receptacles cost $900 apiece, not including the concrete pad. The current FY09 budget include enough funds for 8 of these.

5.    Widen Edgewood Rd. where it meets US 1 to four (4) lanes, instead of waiting for properties on the southern side of the street to be developed and widening the road at that time.  Estimate is $500,000.

Other items that received significant support:

• Add additional Neighborhood Watch signs.  There are sufficient funds to do this in the current budget.
• Have all city employees take customer service training.  No estimate or mention of this.
• Increase contract police presence and/or patrols.  Only 0.03 FTE increase from FY2009 to FY2010.
• Set aside funds to improve the intersection of Edgewood Rd. and Rhode Island Ave., to be used when the County finishes its plans and allocates money.  Alternately, consider making the improvements ourselves.  A newly established Capital Improvement Project, Hollywood Commercial Revitalization, will include this area.  Also, CBE has funds for new trees along Edgewood Rd. in this fiscal year. Note: Already planted.
• Widen Edgewood Rd. between 52nd Pl. and 53rd Ave., where it is only 19′ wide.  No estimate or mention.

Attachment 2 – Ways To Improve NCPCA: Evaluation by NCPCA Board