Smoothly Run Council Meeting Navigates Polarizing Agenda FEMA Vax Site at Metro Gives Its 100,000Th Shot on May 13
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Inside Stories GREENBELT Greenbelters at GAC presents Dr. News ReviewAn Independent Newspaper Faith Event, p.4 Faustus, p.3 VOL. 84, No. 26 15 Crescent Rd., Suite 100, Greenbelt, MD 20770-1887 MAY 20, 2021 Budget 2022 With Three Weeks to Go, FEMA Vax Site at Metro Gives Budget Is Still Up in Air Its 100,000th Shot on May 13 by Diane Oberg Este artículo está disponible Ana said when asked why she en español en nuestra página got vaccinated. In recent years, the Greenbelt the city’s budget must balance. web www.greenbeltnewsreview. “The FEMA Community Vac- City Council has worked out its And the city’s reserves were just com. cination Center in Greenbelt has desired changes to the city man- 17.8 percent of expenditures, Although the site is now played a key role in the state’s ager’s proposed budget at a final on the low side of the 17 to 20 scheduled to close down on efforts to fight Covid-19,” said budget worksession in advance percent recommended by Green- Tuesday, June 1, the FEMA site Maryland Emergency Manage- of the second public hearing on belt’s financial advisors. After at the Greenbelt Metro Com- ment Agency Executive Director the budget so that citizens are not the budget presentation, the city munity Vaccination Center has Russ Strickland. “This is a truly surprised by what is presented for learned that its workers compen- administered more than 100,000 rewarding partnership between adoption and have an opportunity sation premiums are going up by shots to help bring the world state, local and federal agencies to comment before passage. $200,000 and will likely be even closer to normalcy. to help keep Maryland residents That is not what happened this higher the following year. On Thursday, May 13, Ana, safe.” year at the final budget workses- Over the course of the budget a resident of Maryland, arrived “The Greenbelt Vaccination sion on May 17 for Fiscal Year worksessions since late March, for a Johnson & Johnson vac- Center has showcased the com- 2022, which starts on July 1. The council had amassed a list of cine near the end of the day. bined effort of a whole commu- public hearing is scheduled for possible additions to the budget. It was a true family affair; she nity, from the federal partners, May 24, but it appears unlikely City Treasurer Bertha Gaymon was accompanied by her niece, state, local, private sector and that council will have reached priced these items and found who had been vaccinated at the volunteers who have been instru- BARB LOIS BY PHOTO consensus on its modifications they totaled $1.4 million. By the center earlier. Friends and fam- mental in achieving this amazing Former President Barack to the manager’s budget by then. end of the final budget work- ily had recommended the site. “I milestone,” said FEMA Region Obama visits the FEMA vac- Reaching agreement was session, this unfunded wish list feel good. I did it for my health, 3 Acting Regional Administrator cination site at the Greenbelt bound to be difficult under any had swollen to $2.084 million. for my children, for my family. I Janice Barlow. “It’s a privilege to Metro Station on Thursday, circumstances as the proposed Consistent with past sentiments, need to be well, that’s why I de- May 6. See story, page 12. budget revenues were just $1,000 cided to come to get vaccinated,” See VACCINE, page 12 more than expenditures. By law, See BUDGET, page 8 Sculpture Gets a Makeover Smoothly Run Council Meeting As Conservators Do a Scrub Navigates Polarizing Agenda by Melissa Sites by Cathie Meetre The Greenbelt City Council ly, for a “quick overview of ances. She warned that council meeting of May 10 was more the crimes seen in the previous should consider how much meet- to the point, more polite, less month.” Councilmember Silke ing time it would take and tailor divisive and far shorter than has Pope wondered why a resolution its agenda accordingly, shortening recently been the case, presum- was needed and whether doing it to allow the time. Council- ably as a result of discussions this would cause more work for member Edward Putens thought the week before on demeanor and staff. Byrd thought it would not. that increased statistical informa- process. Though still frosty, the Against a chorus of frenzied tion on crimes would be more interactions in council remained barking from the dog pound, helpful, but felt that localized professional and relatively un- Police Chief Richard Bowers ex- meetings in different parts of marred by discord on an agenda plained that the previous month’s the community would be more that held many opportunities for crime reports aren’t available un- productive. He said he would contention. til two weeks after that month’s rather see the police department The meeting (partially ad- end, meaning that some data focus on staffing/training given its dressed in the May 13 News would be 45 days old when dis- current staff shortages. Council- Review) included a number of cussed. He also noted that the member Leta Mach was in favor items submitted for first read- process of formulating the data of a pilot project and Council- ing by Mayor Colin Byrd. The is labor intensive. Councilmem- member Emmett Jordan said he PHOTO BY LESLEY KASH LESLEY BY PHOTO first would have council hold a ber Judith Davis suggested that would prefer to incorporate such Mari Hagemeyer and Howard Wellman prepare to clean a frieze monthly public hearing on crime reviewing trends might be more a review in the quarterly update on Tuesday, May 11. Wellman is using a soap called orvis that statistics. Byrd moved for a sec- informative and pointed out there from the city manager – following leaves no residue. ond reading and adoption, noting was also a risk that such a ses- the pattern already in place. The that he anticipated many amend- sion could become a forum for item was postponed until May 24. Roosevelt Center’s Mother Though the team won their ments and describing the purpose the airing of individual griev- and Child statue got a special contract from the city nearly a as being to set aside time, month- See COUNCIL, page 6 scrub-down last week as a team year and a half ago, the con- of three skilled art conservators servation work was delayed arrived to clean and maintain by the pandemic and also by Greenbelt’s beloved statue as needed repairs to the Commu- What Goes On well as the Community Center nity Center windows. The team Preamble reliefs. found the city staff cooperative Thursday, May 20 The first step was to apply a and helpful and they enjoyed 1 to 3 p.m. Free Produce Dis- special detergent, sodium lauryl the beautiful trees and lovely tribution, Community Center sulfate, an anionic and non-acidic atmosphere of the Roosevelt Cen- Monday, May 24 surfactant which does not etch or ter space, which has been exten- 8 p.m. City Council Second sink into the stone to damage it sively renovated several times Budget Public Hearing: Con- later. The second step is to apply over the years. stant Yield Tax Rate a biocide to kill lichens that sink The conservators emphasized Wednesday, May 26 their roots into the limestone. A that preventative maintenance is 8 p.m. Council Worksession second scrub with the detergent essential for the conservation of with GEAC: Stakeholders reveals if the statue is clean. public artworks. Limestone is PGCPS BY PHOTO The conservators were pleasantly especially prone to erosion and All meetings are virtual. See This monster by Nora C., a first grader at Greenbelt Elementary surprised to find that the dirt was must be taken care of. Conser- the meetings calendar at green- School, is on display in the Prince George’s County Schools vir- less tightly adhered than might vator Mari Hagemeyer stated, beltmd.gov for agendas and tual art show at pgcps.org/offices/creative-and-performing-arts/ be expected and the stone was “Maintenance projects are super information on public partici- creative-arts-program/visual-arts-program/virtual-student- not as prone to crumbling as they pation in these meetings. art-exhibit. might have feared. See SCULPTURE, page 2 Page 2 GREENBELT NEWS REVIEW Thursday, May 20, 2021 Letters to the Editor GHI Thank You wondering – will the city keep 1:02:00 and 1:31:20. I want to thank all of the mowing the majority of this open Ben Fischler members of GHI for their sup- space in the next few months or Editor’s Note: The next council port over the 30 years that they will they leave it alone so that meeting is indeed on Monday, saw fit to allow me to serve them the fireflies can develop in that May 24. as their Treasurer, member of the larger area? Board of Directors and Audit Joe Robbins Just Stay Put Committee member. It has been In regard to the recent ar- an honor to serve them. I hope DEIS Article Comments ticles and letters on transportation to continue to serve as a member In the front-page article in modes in the News Review: Let’s of the Finance and Investment the May 13 issue of the News get over our obsession with being committees and in any way that Review, there are two errors in where we are not. benefits our great cooperative. the last sentence of the first para- Any transit, maglev or other, Chuck Hess graph.