Weekly Status Report - 6/3/10

MEMORANDUM

TO:               City Council

FROM:         David J. Deutsch, City Manager

SUBJECT:  Status Report/Council Poll 

DATE:  June 3, 2010

Status Report

1.  County Council Results (CB-16-2010)

On Tuesday, June 1st, the Prince George’s County Council elected to hold CB-16-2010 until next week’s County Council meeting.  Just prior to the beginning of the meeting, Council Chair Tom Dernoga met with the Bowie and Greenbelt representatives who attended.  Attendees included Greenbelt Mayor Judith Davis and Councilwoman Leta Mach, as well as Greenbelt and Bowie staff.  Council Chair Dernoga mentioned that several County Council Members were having difficulty supporting CB-16-2010.  Council Chair Dernoga suggested that the group contact Council Member Exum’s staff as soon as possible to schedule an appointment to discuss her concern that the legislation unfairly favors large municipalities.

This afternoon, a meeting was held with municipal representatives and Council Members Dernoga, Exum and Dean.  Both Exum and Dean cited concerns about fragmenting the land use decision making process and the disparity of having some municipalities able to participate more actively than others.  Mayor Davis and Planning Director Joe Meinert, along with Council Chair Dernoga, explained the rationale for CB-16-2010 and attempted to address the issues presented.  City Lobbyist Leonard Lucchi also attended the meeting.  At the conclusion of the meeting, Council Member Exum stated that she would consider the municipalities’ position further.

2. Emergency Management Worksession

Last week’s Tentative Agenda contained a Worksession item on Emergency Management on the July 12th meeting date.  Councilmember Trouth has requested that this session be held in September rather than July.  Staff will schedule the meeting on one of the two September dates. 

 3.  Low Cost Microchipping

To encourage pet owners to have a microchip implanted on their pet, the City will be partnering with Veterinarian Dr. James Peterson and the Highway Veterinary
Hospital to provide this service for pets belonging to City residents.  The cost for inserting the microchip and registering the contact information will be $15 per pet.  Pet owners will purchase a voucher at City Hall and then call the Highway Veterinary Hospital to schedule an appointment to have the chip implanted. To qualify for this program, the pet must have a current Prince George’s County license and the owner
must show proof of City of Bowie residency.  We plan to announce this program formally in the July issue of the Bowie Spotlight.

4.  Storm Drain Marking in Pointer Ridge

On Saturday, May 22nd, a local Eagle Scout candidate, Eric Woolery, along with members of his troop and other volunteers installed 115 storm drain markers in a portion of the Middle Collington Branch.*  The markers are the same stainless steel round disks with the message “No Dumping – Drains to Waterway" that were installed in the Overbrook subwatershed in October 2009, also by an Eagle Scout candidate.  The markers increase the public's awareness that the water that enters storm drains is sent directly into their local streams without any treatment.  This project was carried out under the supervision of the City's Watershed Manager and helps meet the requirements of the City’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit on file with the Department of Public Works.  Staff intends to continue expanding this program and mark all storm drains in the Middle Collington Branch as funding and volunteer availability allow.

*The area is roughly bounded by Middle Collington Branch to the west, Mount Oak Road to the north, Mitchellville Road and an imaginary line south from Village Baptist Church to the Pointer Ridge Drive/Philmont Lane intersection to the east and Pointer Ridge Drive to the south.

5.  Furniture for New City Hall

Attached please find a staff memo outlining a planned change in approach regarding the acquisition of furniture for the new City Hall.  Instead of the City conducting our own separate bidding process for the purchase of furniture, staff plans on piggybacking on a competitively bid furniture acquisition conducted by Howard County through the Baltimore Regional Cooperative Purchasing Committee (BRCPC).  There are substantial discounts by piggybacking on the Howard County/BRCPC bid as noted in the attached memo.  Both the City Architect and furniture consultant recommend taking this approach.  Please let us know if you have any concerns regarding this change in approach.      

DJD/asf

Attachments