Green ACES Briefs Council On Achieving Sustainability
Green ACES, the City of Greenbelt Advisory Committee on Environmental Sustainability matters, briefed the Greenbelt City Council on February 7 on its latest recommendations to help steer Greenbelt toward a future more reliant on renewable energy and with lowered carbon emissions. Council was eager to begin implementing and incorporating these ideas as soon as possible, […]
Greenbelt Park is Now Fully Operational after Much Repair
Greenbelt Park, after re-opening in November 2021, is now fully operational with a bevy of interpretive programming in the planning stage. During a shutdown period that coincided with the pandemic’s restrictions on social distancing, the park was given time to make many renovations and upgrades to the roads, bridges, campgrounds, picnic areas and trails. Representatives […]
Council Discusses Challenges For Greenbelt East Properties
Mayor Emmett Jordan, at a January 26 Greenbelt City Council worksession, asserted “we are a city of associations.” Focused on Greenbelt East, council met with homeowner association board members and Executive Vice President Rick Cummings from property manager Condominiums Ventures Incorporated (CVI) to have a detailed discussion of the most pressing issues these communities are […]
Roosevelt Center Merchants Update Council on Challenges
Roosevelt Center merchants face a regrettably similar set of economic challenges from the new Covid-19 Omicron surge, with recovery plans put on hold once more by the recent drop of in-person traffic. The majority of the Center’s businesses, like the Old Greenbelt Theatre (OGT) and the New Deal Café, rely on people, in varying degrees, […]
Council Approves Much of Reform Language in Police General Orders
After months of deliberation and debate, the Greenbelt City Council passed a 22-item police reform resolution on January 10. This resolution would modify various General Orders of the Greenbelt Police Department which dictate its day-to-day operations. With the impetus being Councilmember Colin Byrd’s Greenbelt Fair and Just Policing Act, proposed in 2020, a thorough review […]
City to Consult on Priorities For Rescue Funds Allocation
The city has commenced its community engagement program on the use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, with the goal of soliciting ideas from all the city’s residents and groups in an effort to use the funds in the most strategic and necessary ways. On December 20, 2021, city staff and Michelle Ferguson, vice […]
Accolades Follow Decades Of Service as Sterling Retires
Director of Public Works Jim Sterling has retired after 37-and-a-half years as an essential part of the City of Greenbelt. During that time, he has played many roles and applied his expertise in myriad ways especially in the areas of construction, planning and code enforcement. Sterling characterized his career as “a good ride” and was […]
Police Discuss Recent Spike In Violent Crimes, Offer Tips
Members of the Greenbelt Police Department (GPD) held a community forum on December 1 at the Springhill Lake Recreation Center to disseminate information on the recent spike in carjackings, robberies and violent incidents. Present were Chief Richard Bowers, Captain and Patrol Division Commander Jermaine Gulledge and Captain and Administrative Services Division Commander Tim White. Tips […]
Police Reform Vote Delayed: Council Seeks Unanimous Vote
Voting on police reform measures by the Greenbelt City Council stalled on Monday, November 22 due to issues with the resolution’s wording. The wording was developed by Greenbelt Police Chief Richard Bowers and Assistant City Manager Timothy George, based on the language agreed upon at the November 15 worksession. Bowers explained that the intent was […]
City Council Prepares to Vote On Proposed Police Reform
On Monday, November 15, the Greenbelt City Council produced a working list of police reforms to be voted upon at the November 22 council meeting. This list was based upon a concurrence of the following sources: Councilmember Colin Byrd’s October 10 police reform proposal (itself derived from Byrd’s Fair and Just Policing Act proposal from […]