Town Meeting

Town Meeting Minutes
Town Council Chambers 
February 14, 2024| 7:00 p.m.
      
Call to Order
Mayor Jodie Kulpa-Eddy called the meeting to order at 7:01PM.  Present were Mayor Pro Tem Chris Brittan-Powell, Councilmember Jason Papanikolas, Town Manager Kyle Snyder, and Town Clerk Melanie Friesen.  Also present were residents of the Town of Berwyn Heights.  

Pledge of Allegiance
Mayor Kulpa-Eddy led the Pledge of Allegiance.

1. Announcements 
Mayor Kulpa-Eddy noted that CM Hemby and CM Menjivar had excused absences for work and a personal matter.  MPT Brittan-Powell wished everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day.

* Black History Month Proclamation
Mayor Kulpa-Eddy read the Black History Month Proclamation.  She also shared that there are several special events happening in the area and highlighted a few celebrations.  

2. Approval of Agenda
CM Papanikolas moved to approve the agenda with an amendment that shifted Item 7.b. the “Board of Supervisors of Elections swearing in” to immediately follow item 3.  MPT Brittan-Powell seconded.  With no discussion, the motion passed unanimously (3:0).  

3. Consent
CM Papanikolas moved to accept the consent agenda.  MPT Brittan-Powell seconded.  In discussion, Mayor Kulpa-Eddy noted that there are omissions on the last page of the Public Works report and is asking that those be clarified in their next monthly report.  With that friendly amendment, the motion passed unanimously. 

7b. (amended)
Mayor Kulpa-Eddy reviewed the requirements of Ordinance 109 and the Town Charter and then swore in Sharmila Bhatia as Chief Election Judge.  Laura Bowers, Susan Kelley, and Debbie Steele-Snyder were sworn in as election judges.  

4. Mayor & Councilmember Reports
Mayor Kulpa-Eddy stated that we are entering tax season.  She shared several resources for tax preparation assistance that are available, with some resources being available in both English and Spanish.  These resources will be sent to the Town Clerk and will be available upon request.  She also shared Purple Line updates which include the complete closure of the intersection of Kenilworth Avenue and East-West Highway nightly beginning on or around March 4th.  There will also be a complete closure for the initial weekend.  She then reviewed a Senior Housing Assistance program from the County, available to qualified renters, that will be going live in mid-March.  Lastly, she reviewed her meeting schedule.  This included the PGCMA meeting with a presentation on Universal Voting, and the Four Cities meeting which included a presentation from the County Office on Human Rights as well as discussions on relocating students from Dora Kennedy French Immersion school as students from Springhill Lake Elementary will be moved there as their school is rebuilt, reviving the Greenbelt Road task force and addressing utilities who leave wires hanging from telephone poles down to the ground.  
MPT Brittan-Powell had no report. 
CM Papanikolas shared that the Greenbelt City Council lost a councilmember early in his term and that there is a petition to re-name Springhill Lake Elementary in his honor.  He would like Berwyn Heights to consider supporting this renaming. 

5. Committee Reports
a. Green Team 
CM Papanikolas shared that the Town is due for their “Bee City” designation renewal.  He also shared about two events the Green Team is sponsoring: (1) to learn how to remove invasive species, and (2) to learn how to enhance Spring wild flower habitat.  These will be held at the end of March and early April.  There are several environmental bills up for consideration in the State legislature and the Green Team encourages residents to be in touch with their representatives. 

b. Historical Committee 
Debby Steele-Snyder shared highlights from their January 24th meeting, which included working on the walking tour and discussions about repairing the damaged historical marker.  She noted that she and Sharmila Bhatia both attended the update on the “1856 Project” held in College Park.  She also noted that in 2026 the University of Maryland will be hosting the “Universities Studying Slavery” conference.  She reviewed their Berwyn Heights Day plans which include the mobile museum from Prince George’s County Park and Planning.  

c. Neighborhood Watch/ Emergency Preparedness 
Mayor Kulpa-Eddy reviewed the Narcan training class that was hosted by the committee.  She recommended that everyone take the opportunity to get trained on this subject.  She also reviewed the upcoming AED/CPR/First Aid class, which is $70 per person and asked anyone interested in attending to please register as soon as possible.

d. Recreation Council 
Angie Wolfinger shared about the upcoming Team Trivia night on Friday March 15th at 7PM, noting that it is intended for adults only.  She reviewed Berwyn Heights Day planning and encouraged any one interested in participating to email Susan Jones at violindreams@verizon.net.  She noted there will be a parade registration.  Mayor Kulpa-Eddy asked about College Park also hosting a parade that day and hoped there would be coordination with the parade participants.  Mayor Kulpa-Eddy asked TM Snyder to check with College Park on this possibility.

6. Old Business 
There was no Old Business.

7. New Business
a. Resolution to select Architecture/Placemaking Consultant
Mayor Kulpa-Eddy reviewed that Ordinance 189A included $100,000 in ARPA funds for an Architecture/Placemaking consultant to help evaluate current Town facilities and recreational opportunities and interact with residents to develop a plan for improvements and future options.  MPT Brittan-Powell moved to approve Resolution 2-2024 to award the contract to KCI Technologies, Inc.  CM Papanikolas seconded.  TC Friesen read the resolution into the record.  With no discussion, the motion passed unanimously. 

b. Approval and Swearing in of Board of Supervisors of Elections (moved between Items 3. and 4.)

c. TM Snyder Presentation- “Understanding your Property Tax Bill”
TM Snyder presented a Property Tax Bill overview, sharing how the Town tax rate is determined and affected by property assessments and the municipal tax differential.  He stated the Town is the 6th least dependent on County services and highlighted that the Town’s portion of the tax bill is only about 1/3 of the overall property tax bill that homeowners receive (the State and County being responsible for the other 2/3).  He shared about several tax relief programs, including the Berwyn Heights Residential Tax Credit for eligible individuals.   

8. Resident & Community Comments
There were no resident comments.  

9. Adjournment
MPT Brittan-Powell moved to adjourn the meeting.  CM Papanikolas seconded.  With no discussion, the motion passed unanimously, and the meeting adjourned at 7:55PM.