WEEKLY BULLETIN | May 8, 2020

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June Public Focus Groups for the City of College Park FY21 – 25 Strategic Plan

The City is updating the strategic plan and will hold a series of meetings with residents to obtain input on the development of this important road map for the City. These meetings will be held on Saturday June 6, June 20, and June 27. Due to COVID-19, the meetings will likely be held virtually. There will be nine sessions with up to eight participants in each one-hour session. For residents unable to participate in the meetings, there will also be an opportunity to complete a brief survey. Please check the City website, Weekly Bulletin, College Park Connected, and the City’s social media pages for details on how to participate.  

ANNOUNCEMENTS

City Updates During COVID-19

www.collegeparkmd.gov/covid19

Please visit the City's dedicated COVID-19 website for all the latest information about the City's response and local resources during the pandemic.

The website is updated frequently, so please check often.

Count Me in College Park!

What do Medicaid, Medicare, Children’s Health Program, Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Highway Planning and Construction, Pell Grants, School Lunches, and Section 8 Housing Vouchers have in common? These programs are all forms of federal assistance that are distributed based on Census Bureau data. Census data is collected every 10 years and you can respond, if you haven’t already, using your address at  https://my2020census.gov/ . You do not need the code from the Census Bureau letter in the mail. You can also call 1-844-330-2020 to respond by phone.  

 

The City of College Park urges all households to fill out the form online, over the phone, or by mail. For more information, visit  https://www.collegeparkmd.gov/census2020  or contact the Planning Department at 240-487-3541. 

Upper Midtown Land Use Study Input Requested

The City of College Park initiated the Upper Midtown Land Use Study project to understand constraints and leverage opportunities for redevelopment of the study area along Baltimore Avenue (US 1) (Route 1) between University Boulevard (MD 193) and Cherokee Street. The effort is part of a larger goal to promote Route 1 as more livable and safer for all travelers, especially pedestrians.

 

This project is not a development proposal and the project team is not working with any developers to redevelop the study area. This is a planning study to explore development alternatives and identify multi-modal transportation improvements to enhance the access and connectivity of the study area.

 

Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the state-wide stay-at-home order, the project team was unable to host an in-person public meeting to share and discuss possible futures of the area. The project team created the on-line presentation and survey to share information and gather feedback in place of an in-person public meeting.

Please visit https://bit.ly/uppermidtown to learn more and provide your input. The website and survey will remain open until May 31 ^st, 2020. Please use the browsers Apple Safari, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge or Mozilla Firefox. Microsoft Internet Explorer is not supported. 

Join Bike Anywhere Week May 11 through 15

 

 

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) is celebrating Bike Anywhere Week May 11 through 15! Since we would normally be doling out high fives with WABA at Bike to Work Day, we’re joining them in a digital celebration of bicycling. We hope Bike Anywhere Week will capture some of the magic of bicycling in our region and remind us of the incredible community we have in our fellow bicyclists. You can sign up here .

When you register, you’ll get a BINGO card to fill out at home, opportunities to enter into a giveaway with great items from some of your favorite pit stops, and a rad new t-shirt if you join or renew your WABA membership.

Limited Community Garden Plots Available

 

Calling all gardeners! A few plots are available at the Old Town Community Garden and Hollywood Garden. Please email Katie at [email protected] for availability and an application form. Garden plots are $15 and are on a first-come first-serve basis. Social distancing guidelines must be followed including no more than ten people allowed in the garden at a time, stay six feet away from others, and avoid the garden if you are exhibiting symptoms of any illness.

Resource Directory of Essential Businesses Open

To see which College Park businesses are open, please visit www.collegeparkmd.gov/covid19#openbusinesses . The list is continually updated.

If you are a business that needs to update their information, please email [email protected] .

Bee City USA Committee

Are you interested in, or have a background in ecology, native plants, garden communities and nature? Is protecting pollinator populations important to you? Would you like to volunteer to serve your community?

A new committee is being formed to enhance community awareness of urban pollinators in the City of College Park. The Committee will follow the guidelines established by Bee City USA to maintain the City’s affiliation with this organization. The Committee will:

The Committee will consist of no more than 9 members who either live or work in the City of College Park. A staff liaison from the Department of Public Works will support the Committee to accomplish the requirements of Bee City USA.

If you are interested in joining this new committee, please complete and submit an application to [email protected]. You can get the application by visiting our website at www.collegeparkmd.gov/186/Boards-Commissions.

TERPX

Moving can be stressful, expensive and time consuming! TERPX can give you peace of mind when it comes to buying, selling or exchanging furniture, household goods, school materials, electronics and more. Looking to sublet your room? This platform will enable you to connect with other University of Maryland students looking for housing. Whether it is furniture or your room, this is where you “exchange” things.

Benefits of Terp Exchange :

For more information, visit www.terpx.us .

TERPX is sponsored by the Prince George's Property Owners Association (PGPOA)

Pepco and Energy Assistance Programs

From Pepco:

Pepco is suspending service disconnections and waiving new late payment charges at least until May 1 and will be working with customers on a case-by-case basis to establish payment arrangements and identify energy assistance options. Customers wishing to contact Pepco a nd enter into an installment plan can call them at 202-833-7500 and follow the prompts below on their automated system, or visit their website at www.pepco.com .

More information on Pepco's services during the pandemic as well as Energy Assistance Programs for Maryland/Prince George's County residents can be found here: https://www.pepco.com/SafetyCommunity/Safety/Pages/coronavirus.aspx

Washington Gas Project

Washington Gas Maryland STRIDE Accelerated Replacement Program Project at Paducah Road and St. Andrews Place to start this April. Click the image for details.

Maryland Department of Transportation / Maryland Transit Administration Purple Line Construction Project

Buses will be temporarily relocated due to Maryland Department of Transportation / Maryland Transit Administration Purple Line construction on Campus Drive effective Monday, April 20, 2020. This will effect buses on River Road and on the Westside of the College Park-U of MD station. Click the image for details.

A WEEK IN REVIEW

Notice of Adoption of Ordinance 20-O-01

In January 2020, the Mayor and Council adopted Ordinance 20-O-01 which made changes to the collection of Special Trash. It prohibits placement of materials at properties that did not generate the materials; sets fees for collection and fees for Refuse, Recycling and Yard Waste receptacles; and sets penalties for violations.

Effective May 1, 2020, the following bulk trash collection changes will take effect:

1.    No Contractor-generated construction materials will be collected; however, small home-improvement material that is generated by the resident and properly set out will be collected.

2.    Soft and Woody Yard Waste that is properly set out will be collected; however, Soft and Woody Yard Waste that is oversized and requires the use of a crane will be charged at a cost of $100 per collection, per hour

3.    Certain materials set out for collection will require a fee. These include:

4.    Mattresses must be wrapped in plastic, or placed in a plastic mattress bag, in order to be collected.

5.    Oversized, overweight, improperly sorted material, or collections requiring use of a crane, will be assessed a fee of $100 per collection, per hour. 

6.    Refuse Carts: The City will provide up to two refuse carts free of charge per household. There will be an annual cost of $50 for a third refuse cart. A maximum of three refuse carts are allowed per household.  

Help Protect our Department of Public Works Crew from COVID-19

Follow these steps when putting out your trash and recycling:

(Graphic by the National Waste & Recycling Association)

Weekly Highlights of Contract Police Activity

April 24 - April 30, 2020

Monthly Public Safety Maps

The January maps are now available. For monthly Prince George's County Police public safety maps and statistical data for the City of College Park, visit www.collegeparkmd.gov/publicsafety .

CITY EVENTS AND RECREATION

UPCOMING MEETINGS

Office of the City Manager | 240.487.3501 | [email protected] | collegeparkmd.gov