Worksession
ARPA Work Session Minutes
May 25, 2023| 7:00 p.m.
Council Chambers
Call to Order
Mayor Jodie Kulpa-Eddy called the meeting to order at 7:00PM. Present were Mayor Pro Tem Chris Brittan-Powell, Councilmember Shinita Hemby and Councilmember Jason Papanikolas. Staff present were Interim Town Manager Peter Jones and Town Clerk Melanie Friesen. Also present were representatives of the Greenbelt Assistance in Living program and residents of the Town of Berwyn Heights.
Approval of the Agenda
CM Hemby moved to approve the agenda. CM Papanikolas seconded. In discussion MPT Brittan-Powell expressed concern that the ARPA portion of the agenda was only allocated 30 minutes. Mayor Kulpa-Eddy agreed to extend the time as necessary to facilitate a full discussion. The motion passed unanimously.
1. Announcements
Mayor Kulpa-Eddy stated that Councilmember Faustino Menjivar has an excused absence. Mayor Kulpa-Eddy read the summary opinion of the Open Meetings Act Compliance Board which found that the Town violated § 3-302 of the Act because the notice only referenced the closed session and did not include notice that the Council would first meet in open session which the public could attend. While the Council always meets in open session which the public can attend before going into closed session, the Town will be sure to include this as part of the notice in the future. The Board found that the Town did not otherwise violate the Act. MPT Brittan-Powell added that he has spoken to CM Menjivar and that CM Menjivar has concerns about a preparedness plan for the upcoming rainy season.
2. Calendar (5 minutes)
a. Discuss possibility of moving June 20 WS to the 21st or 22nd
Mayor Kulpa-Eddy shared that the CPR/AED training is scheduled for June 20th, and the Town Clerk is now unavailable for that date. She asked if it would be possible to move the meeting to June 21st or 22nd as the next week the Council will be at Maryland Municipal League Summer Conference. MPT Brittan-Powell asked to consider the question after the ARPA discussion as there may be items that require immediate response. CM Papanikolas suggested taking an administrative poll after the meeting via email. Mayor Kulpa-Eddy will reach out to CM Menjivar to find out his availability.
3. City of Greenbelt’s Assistance in Living Program
MPT Brittan-Powell introduced members of the Greenbelt Assistance In Living (GAIL) program, noting that due to the smaller size of Berwyn Heights, we have been looking into collaborating with our larger neighbors. He expressed his appreciation for how the program in Greenbelt has developed and works. Ms. Christal Parker Batey from the GAIL program gave a brief history of the GAIL program, noting that it started with a three-year grant in 2001 to determine what the needs of the community were. After two years, the recommendation was not to build a brick-and-mortar facility, but rather to empower the residents within Greenbelt to age in place. The needs assessment revealed that there was a need for information and referral. Greenbelt hired a resource advocate, who utilized supports from volunteers. At the end of the three-year period, residents petitioned the Greenbelt Council to make the program permanent, and the GAIL program began to grow. Ms. Parker Batey shared that her goal was to develop partnerships with existing programs from around the region that she could access for free. There was an informational stage, where they pushed out information about the program through a variety of media and then began to work on the issues that were occurring behind the closed doors of residents. They applied for a Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORC) grant and added supports from public health, social work, and nursing interns, working to teach the interns that there was more to aging than nursing homes and assisted living facilities. In 2008, when the economy collapsed, the program began to help younger people, realizing that many needed the same supports that the aging population did. They expanded the program to include all ages and have partnered with the Capital Area Food Bank and the DC Diaper Bank to help meet the needs of residents. She emphasized that these programs require volunteers to be successful. She also highlighted the importance of adaptability to meet the needs of the time, such as during Covid, when many programs moved to virtual. She shared that many of the programs expanded during Covid.
Mayor Kulpa-Eddy asked how they would see the Town working with Greenbelt. Doctor Liz Park, Director of Greenbelt Cares, stated that a needs assessment would be vital so you would know where to start a program. She added that Town residents are welcome to participate in Greenbelt programs, especially those that are virtual. Ms. Parker Batey stated that presenting information in a variety of media to meet the residents where they are at is important. ITM Jones asked about the timing of interns. Ms. Parker Batey noted that you need to have someone to supervise the interns and that you start with someone to build the program based on data, resident buy in, and then build the program that residents want and support. Resident Paul Kavanaugh asked about where the grants came from for the Greenbelt program. Ms. Parker Batey stated that the original grant came from NORC but that grants pay for programs, not staff. ITM Jones asked about how the program was paid for once the grants ended. Ms. Parker Batey stated that it became part of the general budget, where program costs are minimal but primarily for salary and benefits for staff. She again highlighted that data collection is imperative. She added that she would like to visit the Senior Center and meet with some of our seniors. There was discussion on what the School of Public Health needs assessment and the timeline.
4. BHVFD Funding Support Request
Mayor Kulpa-Eddy stated that a letter was submitted during the budget process. She highlighted that the Berwyn Heights Volunteer Fire Department is often the first line for many emergency services. The BHVFD is asking with assistance to help purchase a replacement utility truck, as the vehicle is instrumental in responding to inclement weather and area trail emergencies. The letter of request also shares challenges the BHVFD is facing and upcoming major projects. MPT Brittan-Powell stated that there are residents who did not receive support from the VFD during the storms of last summer. Mayor Kulpa-Eddy added that the VFD is dispatched by the County and to access the services of the BHVFD residents need to call 9-1-1 and not call the department directly. CM Hemby stated that she would like to have a representative from the BHVFD make a presentation in addition to the letter. MPT Brittan-Powell wondered if there could be more involvement from the BHFVD in youth programs in Town to encourage the youth to volunteer when they are old enough. CM Papanikolas added that due to some specialized equipment and location, the BHVFD is the busiest fire house in the County.
5. UMD-SPH Proposal
Mayor Kulpa-Eddy shared that they had a meeting with the School of Public Health this morning to follow up on the proposed work plan they had sent to the Town. The SPH was clear that they want this to be a community driven approach with a Community Advisory Team (CAT) developing the community assessment plan. The opportunity to serve on the CAT will be advertised in a variety of ways, and should be in place by August. They are looking for a diverse group of volunteers, including length of residency, for the program. CAT members may receive a $250 a month stipend for their participation, with a total of $50,000 for the entire budget of the program. The SPH has warned that it will look like things are moving quite slowly, but it is all about getting good data. MPT Brittan-Powell added that information will be gathered by the group in a variety of ways.
6. Proposed ARPA Budget Mayor Kulpa-Eddy reviewed that in the packet before Council are the budgetary guidelines that the Council had agreed upon, a review and proposed process for the remaining ARPA funds as well as the proposed budget that has been before Council for a few months. MPT Brittan-Powell asked about the goals and how does the Council wish to meet the needs of the community. He asked about what is needed to facilitate the discussion. He expressed his preference to group projects together by type and shared the list that he put together from what he had heard in past meetings. Mayor Kulpa-Eddy noted that several projects that have been mentioned are missing from the list. CM Hemby asked about the dollar amounts in the proposed budget under stormwater management, particularly the item “Construction”. ITM Jones shared that most of the numbers came from the County, with his anticipation of needing $1,000,000 for construction costs and matching funds for the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). MPT Brittan-Powell stated that his understanding is that the Town needs to dedicate $300,000 to show to the County that we are serious. CM Papanikolas asked if MPT Brittan-Powell was stating that we don’t need to include construction costs as part of the budget. ITM Jones reiterated that the USACE will require a 25% match and that the County and the USACE is developing a project list and plan and that the Town needs to be on that list. MPT Brittan-Powell added that there will need to be both green and grey projects. When asked he explained that the “green” projects are the projects that keep stormwater from entering the storm drain system, such as stormwater ponds and rain gardens. “Grey” projects are concrete projects. He continued that utilizing the wetlands and working with partners would be ideal. He expressed a desire to “rent” someone from an organization such as Chesapeake Bay Trust to work with and encourage residents in green mitigation on their own properties. There was discussion regarding bringing in outreach people with MPT Brittan-Powell advocating for a second outreach person, solely to focus on green projects. Mayor Kulpa-Eddy reviewed that the proposed budget divides ARPA funds into stormwater and non-stormwater projects, some of which are from the FY23 goals. MPT Brittan-Powell asked if Council had an interest in focusing more on the dollars or on the projects. He added that he would take a million dollars off the stormwater projects. If construction is unlikely to begin in the next 18 months, it won’t be needed. Mayor Kulpa-Eddy reviewed that the funds only have to be obligated, not spent by December 2024 and if the funds would be needed into 2026, they could be set aside. There was discussion on spending the money wisely and advocating for the County to take on the bulk of the project. Mayor Kulpa-Eddy added that the FY24 County budget has been released; there are a number of items of interest to Berwyn Heights and the Council should meet with County Councilman Eric Olson to discuss these. ITM Jones reminded Council of the USACE needing a 25% match. There was discussion regarding applying for other funding to supply the 25% match. CM Papanikolas asked if the ARPA budget will be a living document with the ability to move funds around within categories. Mayor Kulpa-Eddy reviewed the proposed plan of introducing an ARPA budget ordinance in June, with a public hearing and second reader and adoption in July. ITM Jones warned against using Treasury funds as a bank, but rather they want to see a spending plan in place. CM Hemby asked about the project list as she would like to see the Boys and Girls Club, Teen Volunteer Program, Young Adult (ages 19-23) Program, and a Teen Tutoring Program on the list. She really appreciated the Greenbelt presentation where the project took several years with preparation to become a permanent program. She would like to see the youth programs as separate line items, rather than under “support community health and wellbeing”. In process discussions, it was determined for Council to submit to MPT Brittan-Powell all the projects that they note are missing from the list by May 31st. Then MPT Brittan-Powell will group complimentary projects together by June 5th after which, the Council will received those and complete rank choice voting by June 7th.
a. Stormwater Consultant Draft Position Description
MPT Brittan-Powell expressed concern about some possible conflicts with the description. He explained that the USACE are not allowed to compete with private industry and if we advertise for a position that the Town would like to have the USACE also work on, then the USACE may have a conflict and not be able to work on the project. There are some caveats to this however, such as working with a non-profit, but the Town needs to be sure before moving forward. A deadline for clarification was set for June 1st.
b. Community Outreach/Engagement Coordinator Draft Position Description
Mayor Kulpa-Eddy stated this is the same job description that was previously advertised but the Council decided to postpone hiring until the Interim Town Manager was on board. As the Council has considered the needs of the Town, this position has grown and changed and needs to be rewritten. CM Papanikolas stated that this could be a quasi-Public Information Officer position, facilitating communications and functioning as the PRECA aide. They could also function as the staff person assigned to the CAT team developed by the SPH. There was discussion on what, if any role, this position would have to do with grants administration. The conclusion was that grants administration would likely be a second part-time position. There was also discussion about the role of the Community Engagement and PRECA aide. There was conversation about if the Grant Writer could be a volunteer. Mr. Paul Kavanaugh stated that despite his willingness to be a volunteer grant writer, it wouldn’t hurt to put out an RFP for a grant writer as many work on contract or commission. There is a lot of money out there for programs, but not as much for people. He continued, having a plan is important when you are seeking funds and it’s important to put money where you want to grow and to use ARPA funds as seed money for long term projects.
ITM Jones asked about items on the projects list to seek clarification on whether they will end when ARPA ends or if they will continue into the future from General Funds. There was discussion regarding if ARPA funds can be used to pay contract staff until the end of December 2026.
MPT Brittan-Powell asked on behalf of CM Menjivar if the Town has a heavy rainfall on how to respond. Mayor Kulpa-Eddy shared that we have an emergency operations plan and that the Town has sandbags and gates available at Town Hall. CM Papanikolas added that some of it is preparation and some of it is response.
c. MPT Brittan-Powell Project List Suggestions
This list was covered during the ARPA discussion.
7. Adjournment
CM Hemby moved to adjourn. CM Papanikolas seconded. With no discussion, the motion passed unanimously and the meeting adjourned at 9:16pm.