North College Park Community Association (NCPCA) Meeting Minutes, November 13, 2025
Attendees:
In person:
Kamthorn Clary, Arelis Perez, Dave Turley, Todd Reitzel, Andrew Stinavage, Blaine Rivas, Mary Cook, Susan Huemmrich, Mary Roop, Councilmember Jacob Hernandez, David Folcher, Erika Chocolatl, Councilmember Alan Hew, Mayor Fazlul Kabir.
Online (names written as they appear in chat):
Melissa Peterson, Celia Anklesaria.
Minutes taken by:
Todd Reitzel, Secretary
Call to Order
Clary called the meeting to order and reviewed the agenda.
Minutes
The group reviewed the October 9 meeting minutes. Perez moved to approve them, Turley seconded the motion, and the minutes were approved by unanimous consent.
President Report
Clary noted that NCPCA coffee socials are currently Sundays 11am-1pm before monthly meeting at Proteus Brews. The time may be adjusted slightly to attract more attendees. The Development and Events Committees still have vacancies; if interested, please let Clary know.
Vice President Report
Perez reported two actions at this week’s City Council meeting. There was a public hearing on changing the maximum height of front yard fences from 3 feet to 4 feet, to align with County code; the City Council approved this action. There was also a public hearing on changes to various fees and penalties for City code violations; the City Council approved these changes.
Treasurer Report
Peterson reported a SECU Checking Account balance of $1,182.76 and a SECU Savings Account balance of $336.43. MailChimp monthly cost is $13. The annual Zoom renewal has been paid. Peterson reminded the group that there is $1,000 in our account for Welcome Wagon activities.
Peterson suggested setting a date to decorate the holiday tree at Narragansett Parkway and 52nd Avenue. She suggested choosing a date the last week of November. Turley noted that seniors are making more tree ornaments.
Peterson is moving out of College Park; so a new Treasurer will be needed.
Development Committee
Clary reported on various paving projects completed by the City and several future paving projects.
Events Committee
Clary noted there are 2 more Hollywood Farmers Market sessions this season. NCPCA will have a holiday potluck on December 11 after its 7:30pm meeting. There will be a December 6 Winter Wonderland Holiday Market and Tree Lighting at City Hall 2pm-8pm. The next monthly Public Safety Meeting will be December 1 at 7pm. Clary noted that WISE events for senior citizens are listed on the NCPCA website.
Ranked Choice Voting
Stinavage reviewed the advantages of ranked choice voting (RCV) that he presented at the October 9 meeting. The City’s Board of Elections had recommended against RCV out of concern it wouldn’t improve voter engagement, there usually aren’t enough candidates to make it worthwhile, and it may be too complex to understand and to implement. Stinavage cited recent research indicating RCV can stimulate voter engagement.
There was a discussion of how many candidates make RCV worthwhile. Huemmrich suggested that when there are 2 seats and winners (such as in College Park City Council districts) at least 4 candidates are needed. Stinavage thought that in cases where there are 3 candidates and 2 seats RCV could be a viable alternative to bullet voting.
Greenbelt recently approved RCV, but all its Council seats are at large. Takoma Park elects by districts and has used RCV for about 20 years and is more comparable for College Park.
Huemmrich noted the City would need to find the right vendor to process RCV ballots. Perez noted that each election costs the City $60 to $70 thousand but only gets about 10% voter participation and thinks the primary goal should be to increase the participation rate.
Clary moved to send the City a letter supporting ranked choice voting. Stinavage seconded the motion, and the motion was approved by a vote of 6 to 2, with 4 abstentions.
NCPCA Membership
Clary reintroduced the topic of whether NCPCA should continue to collect membership dues or instead rely on other revenue sources. The member survey conducted over the past few weeks received 20 responses. Respondents favored using funds for events rather than outreach (12 to 8) and reported a range of frequency of meeting attendance (8 attend at least 6 meetings per year, 11 attend fewer than 3 per year, and 1 attends 3 to 5 meetings per year). Respondents favor replacing dues 11 to 9.
The group discussed the topic. Reitzel noted that the bylaws base membership on paying dues; so if we stop collecting them, we would need to develop an alternative way of defining membership, in order to continue decision-making activities. Clary noted that the idea of basing membership on meeting attendance has been suggested. Perez thinks members should be engaged, and so would want members to attend at least 5 meetings per year. Roop suggested keeping dues but streamlining their collection; $10 is not a burden for an entire year, and if people care enough, they will pay it. Folcher agreed that $10 is a reasonable amount. People will engage throughout year when an issue matters to them. Peterson suggested giving members the choice between meeting attendance or paying dues. We currently have around 20 dues-paying members, and fundraising could cover all expenses.
Clary suggested tabling the issue for further consideration.
Unscheduled Motions
There were no unscheduled motions.
Unscheduled Announcements
Reitzel noted the College Park Community Food Bank is seeking turkey donations, which may be dropped off November 14 and November 21 4pm-6pm.
Hernandez reported on a successful Hollywood ES Nov 12 event providing shoes, socks, and backpacks to every student, sponsored by Coca Cola and with support from throughout community. Also, he is working to create a parent-teacher organization at Parkdale HS. An upcoming City Council session will consider providing City funds to the commercial space on the northwest corner of Edgewood and Rhode Island Avenue. Hernandez will host a District 1 discussion in December with the City’s Director of Public Services talking about various potential changes. Also, he requested community input on whether a grocery store should be sought for the old Shoppers Food Warehouse space.
Clary noted that the City is offering assistance to vulnerable residents; no-interest loans are available to furloughed federal employees.
Peterson asked about demand for Food Bank help, and Reitzel reported there’s been steady demand of around 400 families per week but with a slight increase recently; fortunately, volunteers and funding have kept pace, including support from the State, County, and City.
Clary noted the next meeting will be Thursday, December 11, at 7:30pm.
Perez moved for adjournment, Clary seconded the motion, and the motion was approved unanimously.