Politics & Government

City Council Roundup: January 23

Council voted on who would sit on the Transportation Planning Board and passed a measure supporting a constitutional amendment reversing Citizens United.

On Monday, Greenbelt City Council took up issues ranging from supporting a reversal of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission to whether Council Member Rodney Roberts or Mayor Pro-Tem Emmett Jordan would sit on the Transportation Planning Board.

Look for follow-up reports on Patch, covering City Council deliberations on several of council's actions.

VOTING RECORD

Approval of Jan. 9 Minutes Debated

Find out what's happening in Greenbeltwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Mayor Pro-Tem Emmett Jordan requested the minutes from council's Jan. 9 regular meeting be changed. The draft minutes stated:

"Mr. Roberts cited precedence was set at a previous meeting when Mr. Putens was given the right to retain his position as Council liaison to a City board when Mr. Jordan had expressed his desire to be appointed."

Find out what's happening in Greenbeltwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Jordan asked that "Mr. Roberts cited precedence" be changed to "Mr. Roberts cited his recollection."

Council voted 6-0 to defer the vote on the minutes until its next regular meeting.

Leasing Police Vehicles from ACME

City Council voted 6-0 to lease up to seven vehicles for the Metro Area Drug Task Force (MADTF) from Acme Auto Leasing, LLC of North Haven, Conn. City staff’s agenda comments stated the bill would be paid by the city, and MADTF would reimburse the city.

Constitutional Amendment on Citizens United

Council voted 6-0 to send a letter supporting Sen. Jamie Raskin's (D-Montgomery) approach to a constitutional amendment to reverse the Supreme Court's ruling on Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. Council voted to send the letter to Sen. Raskin, the Maryland House Speaker, the Maryland Senate President, Greenbelt's State Delegation and the Maryland General Assembly.

ACE Grants to Schools

Council voted 6-0 to approve the Advisory Committee on Education's (ACE) grant proposals.

Council approved the proposals submitted by six ACE core schools, amounting to sixteen grant proposals totaling $7,000. Council also approved an extra $190 to enable funding for the proposals.

Roberts and Jordan on COG Transportation Planning Board

Council voted 6-0 to appoint Roberts as lead representative to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government's Transportation Planning Board and Mr. Jordan as alternate.

Jordan, Roberts and council discussed alternating attendance, so Jordan would get a chance to vote — an idea both Jordan and Roberts said they were willing to accept.

This was a discussion and not part of the vote, Greenbelt City Clerk Cindy Murray told Patch.

"We were only voting on who was the prime and who was the alternate to all these boards and all these committees," Murray said.

Roberts and Jordan seemed to work out how they wanted to do it, she added.

State Legislation: Street Lighting – Purchase by Local Governments

Council passed 6-0 to draft a letter of support for a state bill that would allow local governments to utilize a condemnation procedure to acquire street lights.  Delegate Carr had requested the city support the legislation again this year, as it had in the past.

Recognition Group Application – Greenstems, Inc.

In its consent agenda, council approved 6-0 grant recognition group status to Greenstems, Inc.

Mayor Judith "J" Davis, Mayor Pro-Tem Emmett Jordan, and Council Members Konrad Herling, Leta Mach, Edward Putens and Rodney Roberts attended the meeting. Mayor Davis did not attend the entire meeting, but was present through all items that came to a vote.


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