Council Declines State's Offer to Limit “Onerous” Forms
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GREENBELT News ReviewAn Independent Newspaper VOL. 76, No. 18 15 Crescent Rd., Suite 100, Greenbelt, MD 20770-1887 MARCH 21, 2013 Council Declines State’s Offer Women’s History Month March is Women’s National History Month. In observance, To Limit “Onerous” Forms Use the News Review will run articles about Greenbelt women of significant accomplishment whose stories are not well known by Kathleen Gallagher here. The series is being coordinated by David Lange. At its regular meeting of requirements than a hue and cry members of the city’s Advisory February 25 council decided to was raised that the extremely de- Planning Board and Board of make little modification to the tailed financial disclosure report- Appeals. financial reporting requirements ing required under the new law, As interpreted by the city, the Watson, Autism Specialist, it adopted in 2011 to comply which was designed for state of- new, more detailed public disclo- with a new state law, despite the ficials, was unnecessarily burden- sure form was, in addition to the Has Broad Reach in Schools complaints of municipal officials some for smaller jurisdictions and above individuals, required of the could result in a reluctance to run assistant city manager, the city about the effects of implementing by Marat Moore the “onerous” form and despite for office or to volunteer to serve clerk, all department directors an admission by the state ethics as appointees on those boards and assistant directors, the chief board that the city’s require- required to file. The argument of police, police captains and Julie Watson fervently believes ments now exceed what the state was not with the conflict of inter- the members of the Greenbelt that all children should be able requires. est standards themselves but with Ethics Commission. In the past, to fulfill their potential. In her Nearly two years ago, the the paperwork and very detailed employees at level 15 and above, position as an autism instructional governor signed into law legis- forms. At the council meeting, which include most of those in- specialist for Prince George’s lation adopted by the Maryland Mayor Judith Davis said that dividuals, were required to file County schools, she is helping to E General Assembly in 2010 to smaller cities are now reporting only the section of the city’s make that a reality for students MOOR establish more consistent ethics the occurrence of these effects disclosure form dealing with the who enter the public education regulations at all levels of gov- and that a new study group has receipt of gifts. system with the diagnosis of an ernment across the state. In the formed to examine the impact of Slam Dunk? autism spectrum disorder (ASD). marat wake of a number of election ir- the new law on local government. The complaints about the Autism spectrum disorders are regularities, as well as corruption As noted in this newspaper’s state’s overreach had been so a group of developmental dis- charges at the county level, the August 11, 2011, coverage of abundant that the item on the abilities that can cause significant BY PHOTO legislation required county and council’s worksession on the agenda of the February 25 meet- social, communication and behav- Julie Watson municipal elected officials and new ethics code, in Greenbelt the ing, indicating that Greenbelt’s ioral challenges. ASDs range in members of boards of education new reporting requirements also application of the new law went severity, from the milder form to adhere to conflict of interest have a significant effect on city well beyond the requirement of of Asperger’s syndrome to the around others and tend to make standards and financial disclosure staff members. Prior to 2011 the the state and could thus be scaled more severe Autistic Disorder. a decision that others may not requirements that were “equiva- city’s complete financial disclo- back, appeared to be a slam dunk. ASDs are on the rise, although understand or they may just give lent to or exceed” the state’s sure form which, though lengthy, As reported in a memorandum it’s not yet clear whether that is up and isolate themselves. They requirements for its own officials. was not as detailed as the new to council from Clerk Cindy Mur- a result of improved diagnosis can become very anxious in so- Hue and Cry one required by the state, was ray, the state ethics board had or an increase in incidence, ac- cial situations. If not given the No sooner did local elected filed only by councilmembers and made clarifications indicating that cording to the federal Centers for right supports, the anxiety can officials begin to look at the new candidates, the city manager and there was no need for staff below Disease Control and Prevention. interfere with their ability to be the level of department head to More than 1,200 county students successful in class.” file the new detailed form nor was in all grades are on the autism Trains Teachers Hoyer Testifies in Support it required for the members of the spectrum. Watson trains teachers and Advisory Planning Board and the “Children with autism have staff in the county’s 24 mid- Board of Appeals. difficulty understanding social dle schools and 23 high schools Of County Location for FBI City Attorney Robert Manzi interaction,” Watson said. “They did, however, advise that those often are unsure what to do See WATSON, page 6 by James Giese individuals who were no longer expected to file the new detailed Greenbelt’s Congressional rights for property owned by the form should now be required to Greenbelter Studies Mary Representative Steny Hoyer and Washington Metropolitan Tran- file the city’s prior complete dis- five other area members of Con- sit Authority, now used for the closure form. None of the city Shelley and Has Two Jobs gress each testified on March Greenbelt Station parking lot. It staff members in this group had 13 in support of relocating the is the only Metro owned property been required to file previously. by Jim Link proposed new Federal Bureau of proposed for the FBI use. GSA Implementing the plan sug- Investigation (FBI) headquarters has indicated that proximity to gested by the city attorney would facility to his or her jurisdic- public transportation will be an Melissa Sites’s doctoral dis- tion according to metropolitan important consideration in site se- See COUNCIL, page 6 sertation topic – on Mary Shelley area press reports. Appearing lection. The site has the further – explains much about how she before a house subcommittee advantage of having direct access thinks and why she lives the way of the Transportation and In- to the Capital Beltway. What Goes On she does. And why she’s such frastructure Committee, Hoyer The other county site report- Saturday, March 23 stimulating company. emphasized that a September edly proposed is a portion of the 9 a.m. to noon, Donation Of the teenage prodigy who Maryland state study determined property planned to be developed Drop-off, Parking Lot between penned Frankenstein, Sites says, K LIN that 43 percent of FBI employ- in the large planned community “I love her for her revolutionary City Offices and the Commu- IM ees live in Maryland. He be- to be known as Westphalia, lo- vision for domesticity combined lieved that a facility in Prince cated at the intersection of the nity Center with political revolution. I part George’s County would best suit Beltway with Pennsylvania Av- Wednesday, March 27 ways with feminist critics who the needs of the FBI and be the enue. That site is not adjacent to 7:30 p.m., Advisory Planning think she went conservative af- J BY PHOTO most convenient location for a Metro Station. Hoyer did not Board Meeting, Community ter writing Frankenstein. With Melissa Sites the greatest percentage of FBI express preference for a particular Center, Room 114 parents like William Godwin and headquarters employees. site in the county. 8 p.m., City Council Meeting/ Mary Wollstonecraft – such great According to the General “In addition, Maryland has re- Budget Presentation, Municipal radicals – no, no, no!” “Mary Wollstonecraft was an Services Administration (GSA), cently seen unprecedented growth Building, Live on Verizon 21, Me: “ Can you elaborate?” amazing person! The world there were 35 expressions of in- in the field of cyber security, Comcast 71 and streaming at Sites: “Godwin was Europe’s would have been a different place terest from throughout the region which would provide the FBI www.greenbeltmd.gov foremost theorist of anarchism. if she had lived!” for the construction of a new with greater access to experts He was no riot-prone bomb Hooked, I ask her to continue. Thursday, March 28 FBI headquarters facility. At in the field, as well as a highly- thrower but believed in a soci- “Wollstonecraft was an incen- least two are in Prince George’s skilled workforce,” Hoyer testi- 7:30 p.m., Greenbelt Homes, ety of responsible citizens who diary pamphleteer; she died at County. The one which appar- fied, noting the close proximity Inc., (GHI) Board Meeting, govern themselves instead of age 38 giving birth to Mary . ently has garnered the strongest of the county to the U.S. Cyber GHI Administration Building being governed by parliament or Lots of people think Shelley was local official support is a site Command at Ft. Meade and other Saturday, March 30 legislators. Everybody keeps an a one-book wonder, like Harper offered by the developers of cyber related facilities, including 10 a.m., Egg Hunt, 18 months eye on each other and helps each Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird).