[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6628614,"mediaKeyId","2716032-9ccfd18f4f06871b96f159d0ebbc4fd0","parentId",2716032,"title","M-NCPPC to add 21 positions, launch intake division and DART system in FY2026 budget pitch to PHED","audioSeconds",2269,"startMs",795000,"endMs",3064000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2716032-9ccfd18f4f06871b96f159d0ebbc4fd0&start=795&end=3064","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2716032-9ccfd18f4f06871b96f159d0ebbc4fd0/thumbnail_795000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6628614/Prince-Georges-County/Maryland/M-NCPPC-to-add-21-positions-launch-intake-division-and-DART-system-in-FY2026-budget-pitch-to-PHED","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6628614-29c832a9c458a7aa4014de2cf61e0f0b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771189523&Signature=UYPYY2UAOURW1JMXoAi6pLNgWdE3SaPnjW7~cUl5IIsjMS5YQrqwIGspQRLm6J2mcOCm~DYEBEsdx8L2rBat9CugSCXRVV-uyT7gLc35vmzEokC7gURxgw~Uaj5a2IoUSex6ofT7P2~X3TzTEFDIHZIuzVV8PMdTacoBfOUk4IauT1aCqu5ZtOpk3iZoCQuElcAMNHYDsuZqPjqHBdlo37SGC2VgC7UWplXOAX71KI5QiHoztNWqs9p6SJcdyAx2AyipyakmZCLdelKeWy3lRtnh2c0oHAha4awyabzlmrjvgjb6A-9O8bwF9K9IbK9m7yDnTTEXSDH3BTsjDDCmNw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Prince George","date","2025-03-20T00:00:00Z","article","Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission leaders told the Prince George’s County Council’s Planning, Housing & Economic Development (PHED) committee on March 20 that their FY2026 budget request emphasizes workforce investment, reforms to development review and digital upgrades to serve residents and applicants.

Commission leaders presented a consolidated administration fund request that includes a $3.9 million planning-board/commissioner’s office, a $15.2 million Central Administrative Services (CAS) operating budget for the county portion, and a $52.619 million request for the Planning Department. The planning department’s personnel budget for FY2026 was presented as $33.593 million; staff said the department proposes adding 21 full‑time career positions (four reclassifications from term to career, and one new term contract position among them).

Peter Shapiro, chair of the Prince George’s Planning Board, and Acting Executive Director William Spencer, Corporate Budget Director Terry Charles and Planning Director Lakisha Hall delivered the commission’s presentation to PHED. Staff outlined nonpersonnel spending, occupancy costs at Largo headquarters, and a $4.15 million project‑charge line that appears in the administration fund summary.

Key elements presented by planning staff
- New intake and regulatory review (IRR) division: The department described a new division to handle intake, technical review and hearing notifications, with an opening planned for summer 2025. Staff said the unit will work closely with county permitting, public works and other agencies to clarify acceptance checklists and reduce back-and-forth that delays projects.
- Development-tracking system (DART): Staff announced plans to replace or upgrade the development monitoring system (previously called DAMS) with a new DART system intended to improve public access to application status and internal coordination.
- Recruitment and workforce development: The commission reported large candidate pools and strong recruitment activity and said the FY2026 funding request supports succession planning, internships and apprenticeship expansion. The planning department said it will expand a collegiate internship and graduate assistant program and noted partnerships with the University of Maryland, Bowie State and Prince George’s community colleges.
- Master plans and studies: Staff highlighted continued work on the Go Prince George’s master plan of transportation, Central Avenue/Bladensburg and Port Towns sector plans, a master and sector plan audit, fiscal-impact studies, and a nascent food‑systems and agricultural planning initiative.
- Digital accessibility and cybersecurity: Acting director Spencer said the commission is hiring a digital access coordinator and aims for web accessibility compliance by April 2026; staff also described cybersecurity training and an ERP financial-system upgrade.

Council members pressed staff on implementation and timing. Councilmember Harrison asked how the commission engages younger residents; Director Hall pointed to placemaking events, pop-up activities and partnerships (including the Neighborhood Planning Academy) and suggested more work with professional groups that offer youth-focused programs. Councilmember Hawkins and others asked whether the newly created IRR division and DART would streamline review timelines; Hall said the division is intended to improve transparency and bring metrics to the process, and staff expects the IRR to be operating in summer 2025.

Councilmember Burrows raised concerns about transparency and consistency on project charges and the department’s handling of certain project-charge scopes, saying he had submitted a public‑records request and still did not have a complete list of approved and denied scopes. Chair Shapiro and Director Hall said Parks and Recreation and Planning will appear before PHED on April 3 for a more detailed presentation, and staff committed to follow up and provide information to the council in advance.

The commission also reported contracting and local‑vendor statistics: in FY2024 the commission spent $34.6 million with vendors in Prince George’s County and reported substantial participation by minority- and local‑owned vendors; staff said they are on track to meet or exceed last year’s local procurement levels.

What to watch next: The commission indicated the new IRR division start date (summer 2025), the rollout of the DART tracking system and the April 3 committee session focused on Parks and Recreation, where councilmembers expect a deeper dive on project‑charge administration and parks operations.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Prince George - Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee - Mar 20, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Maryland‑National Capital Park and Planning Commission leaders told the county PHED committee on March 20 that the FY2026 planning‑department budget requests $52.619 million, seeks 21 new full‑time career positions and will create a new Intake and Regulatory Review Division as well as a new development tracking system (DART).","taxTitle","Prince George's County, Maryland","taxId",3378,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6628618,"PHED committee approves data-center task force, holds separate study resolution",462,3070000,3532000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2716032-9ccfd18f4f06871b96f159d0ebbc4fd0&start=3070&end=3532","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2716032-9ccfd18f4f06871b96f159d0ebbc4fd0/thumbnail_3070000.jpg","/articles/6628618/Prince-Georges-County/Maryland/PHED-committee-approves-data-center-task-force-holds-separate-study-resolution","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6628618-a82ef5a6f3ad8134ce22f1595d5500f8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771189523&Signature=NH9HsxBgSnFCrWrEFApPsIHLJsA6QRd8rHMh~X2m6pKyq0Z7E7f~KQ0g8PWX4cyRO2G1WYi3ES~LtmZqPHhXwJ0iM8cRKJ-X76lXGEo5ZvCgR8K7sGNXw9-viaYgQXeeeDFBeIZSKGoXLPSDW325ShNmHR5dP16AskGx-JT3EapbJYhv8qbmuJXNGDRc2~N5NBtxMYFPyItEegO6ktufVBKTyyBbnq8sy0v0nQv--X0PqrA9nn6c-jpmCOQXze~riMdP4xjTTXWSZgy1~id4CEWj2Gnp4OoEY4RkNlAIMkUs0wtw~ov0NtL3Jfd~gM6dWR6FJps8V3YArfbym71fbg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","PHED committee members voted on March 20 to approve CR-16 (draft 2), creating a qualified data center task force to study community impacts, benefits and revenue potential of data center development in Prince George’s County, and placed a separate, narrower study resolution (CR-14) on indefinite hold.

The task force resolution passed unanimously, 4-0, after committee members adopted amendments that change appointment authority and clarify participating county agencies and designees. Council members who sponsored or cosponsored the measure include Councilmembers Burrows, Oriota, Ivy and Watson, according to committee discussion.

Committee members and planning staff said the draft 2 version folds the scope of the CR-14 study into the broader task force and adds a cross-section of public- and private-sector stakeholders to review transportation, energy and water demand, fiscal effects and other community impacts. Director Lakisha Hall and commission staff told the committee the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) would treat CR-14 as redundant if CR-16 proceeds.

During discussion, sponsors and staff described draft 2 as a consolidated approach. Councilmember Burrows said draft 2 incorporates prior amendments. The committee approved modest wording changes on the floor: the council chair (not the vice chair) will make the task-force appointments; the county executive (or the executive’s designee) will appoint an executive branch representative; and the department name for permitting was updated to reference the county’s permitting, inspections and enforcement office. The committee also discussed chair/vice-chair selection for the task force to allow flexibility in who leads the panel.

Madam Clerk called the roll after the motion and amendments. The vote tally recorded at the committee was: Chair DeNoga — aye; Councilmember Hawkins — aye; Vice Chair Ivy — aye; Councilmember Olson — aye. The motion carried 4-0. The committee then voted, also 4-0, to hold CR-14 indefinitely.

Committee staff said an RFP is already under way to support public engagement and the research output for the task force; a task-force timeline discussed at the meeting was described as “aggressive.” Sponsors and staff indicated the task force will include county agency representatives (including the county permitting/inspections office and the public utilities regulator), higher-education and industry representatives, municipal officials and local economic-development stakeholders.

What happens next: With committee approval, CR-16 (draft 2) moves forward in the council process with the amendments adopted in PHED; CR-14 will not advance while the task force proceeds. The task force’s membership list and final scope will be set as appointments are made by the chair and the county executive’s office.

Votes at a glance
- CR-16 (draft 2) — Qualified data center task force. Motion carried 4-0 (Chair DeNoga, Councilmembers Hawkins, Ivy, Olson — ayes). Motion and amendments adopted on March 20, 2025.
- CR-14 — Data center study. Motion to hold indefinitely carried 4-0.

Speakers quoted in this article are recorded in the committee transcript and include Director Lakisha Hall and Councilmembers Burrows, Ivy, Hawkins and Olson. The article does not attribute statements that were not clearly tied to a single speaker in the record.

The committee did not vote on any regulatory changes to data-center siting in this session; the actions were limited to study and task-force formation.","PHED committee members voted on March 20 to approve CR-16 (draft 2), creating a qualified data center task force to study community impacts and revenue potential of data center development, and placed a separate study resolution (CR-14) on indefinite hold.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6628609,"PHED reviews People’s Zoning Council budget; longtime council member flags need for succession planning",406,230000,636000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2716032-9ccfd18f4f06871b96f159d0ebbc4fd0&start=230&end=636","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2716032-9ccfd18f4f06871b96f159d0ebbc4fd0/thumbnail_230000.jpg","/articles/6628609/Prince-Georges-County/Maryland/PHED-reviews-Peoples-Zoning-Council-budget-longtime-council-member-flags-need-for-succession-planning","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6628609-665aa0eac968b22113c4a3bc02637c80/orig.mp4?Expires=1771189523&Signature=DhIRq1ao0RwWOlB0oRNFGOwE~Kl7gnXXiSr1pC6PBiqe0J7ZgqaGSAkhsloyhDDdiErLJFr5WWWT~TdUNagIvHX8-6w5lpAJ8O3uVW5emwRMUkMuuCGTk7W0JY8hsxrcEFhGxeDk809UFCFbgAEEoPadmCocom2kQfmExmpSE6HgD1~nhXZ5jtozHpAmt6-vtb8gn8JeCnkQ6DRppH4Oi66xxtIAD3N-rzRILMIIzSF17XmXD0fU8X8~oiA7ZXriDHIn4srFSGD-090Kvcp-F6BOL4thuIxsQXj4oKwQaFnGSnM~OJgud51hfaqwv~cLmccB-H2vLUVb-PaZ0~2ThA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The PHED committee on March 20 received an overview of the People’s Zoning Council’s FY2026 budget request and heard the council’s contract holder say he supports the proposed $250,000 line item but urged the county to develop a succession plan.

Director Hightower briefed the committee that the county’s FY2026 proposed general fund budget includes $250,000 for the People’s Zoning Council — the same level as the FY2025 approved budget — and that expenses are recovered through a project charge to the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s administrative fund. The People’s Zoning Council attends zoning hearings, may summon and cross‑examine witnesses, introduce documentary evidence and present arguments, Hightower said.

Mister Brown, who told the committee he has led the People’s Zoning Council for 28 years and said he concurs with the executive’s recommended funding level, told members that he files an annual report and routinely engages with residents and civic groups. Brown said he expects to continue through the next election cycle but acknowledged he is considering a transition within approximately three years and recommended the county consider a deputy or a funded transition plan. He noted state and county rules require five years’ land‑use experience but prohibit membership in a zoning firm while holding the contract, which narrows the candidate pool.

Councilmembers discussed options for ensuring continuity. Chair DeNoga and others asked Brown whether the council should fund a deputy position or develop another succession strategy; Brown said a deputy had been used years ago but that funding for a deputy would require a new line item if pursued.

The committee also heard that Brown submits an “annual report” to the county executive and the council chair and maintains outreach to residents, that the council often meets with the public (three to four times per month on average), and that Zoom has helped attendance. The People’s Zoning Council’s work is also billed as a project charge to the M‑NCPPC administrative fund.

No action was taken on the People’s Zoning Council budget at the session beyond the informational briefing.

","The PHED committee received an overview of the People’s Zoning Council’s FY2026 budget request of $250,000 and heard the council’s long-serving contract holder say he plans to continue through the next election cycle but that succession planning is needed within three years.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

M-NCPPC to add 21 positions, launch intake division and DART system in FY2026 budget pitch to PHED

PHED committee approves data-center task force, holds separate study resolution

PHED reviews People’s Zoning Council budget; longtime council member flags need for succession planning