City Council Meeting Preview: May 24

The College Park City council will convene for its twice-monthly meeting on Tuesday at 8 p.m.

Meetings and work sessions are held in the Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall, located at 4500 Knox Rd

No. 1 Liquors

The city's plan  has sparked public outcry from many College Park residents, who say the council has no right to apprehend a local business simply because it some members happen to dislike it. 

On Tuesday, the city council will vote on whether to drop the matter from the budget. 

Final Approval of the City 2012 Budget

After multiple amendments, the city will vote to approve the fiscal year 2012 budget. In total, the expenditures for FY 2012 are proposed to be roughly $14 million, which marks a significant increase from 2011, thanks largely to revenue from the city's speed cameras. 

The amendments that will be considered Tuesday evening are:

1. Reinstatement of the Lackawanna Streetscape project: The city received a grant for a Green Streets improvement project, which would enable the installation of environmentally friendly infrastructure like rain gardens, bioretention facilities, pervious pavement and the like. The project was cut from last year's budget, and the council will vote tonight on whether to add it back. 

2. $1,500 for the hire of a facilitator to conduct a visioning session for the Route 1 corridor: The facilitator would collaborate with residents, business owners and the university community to formulate a plan for possible overhaul of Route 1, and help determine locations where parks, housing, retail and other developments might be viable. 

3. Removal of all reference to acquisition of the property at 8200 Baltimore Ave. (No.1 Liquors) from the city budget.

4.  Amendment of the City pavement plan to replace the west portion of the Rhode Island Ave. access road between Fox and Muskogee with the dead end block of 49th Place, south of Hollywood Road: The city will discuss whether to reallocate funding to repave the dead end. This would replace the plan to repave the west portion of the Rhode Island Avenue access road between Fox and Muskogee. 

Approval of Sunday Use of City Hall Parking Lot for a Farmers Market

The city council will vote on whether to host a Farmers Market on Sunday morning in the parking lot of City Hall. The market will be the second of its kind in the city, and will operate in addition to the one held son Saturday mornings in the parking lot of .