[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_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",6086917,"mediaKeyId","2893518-1490f663b7cf150d54e764dc249fcc9d","parentId",2893518,"title","Council approves citywide event form, public engagement readies Seat Pleasant Day; commission appointment confirmed","audioSeconds",2600,"startMs",4617000,"endMs",7217000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2893518-1490f663b7cf150d54e764dc249fcc9d&start=4617&end=7217","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2893518-1490f663b7cf150d54e764dc249fcc9d/thumbnail_4617000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6086917/Seat-Pleasant/Prince-Georges-County/Maryland/Council-approves-citywide-event-form-public-engagement-readies-Seat-Pleasant-Day-commission-appointment-confirmed","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6086917-cd91138a4bf764840365875ac723f6e4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197715&Signature=MDD9at2xFpuwJwWcf1gwBZ4smmhcqho8sV~DaVftYlsZlJpB4N0B-lbjlHrO6RVnLYuvH2WDjTOm3MWD8edmWRdc8BzAwuXQnzEko6bbAXEl4yCMu9qcsiPIRZsMDkJTlNnGtmggKQWlqAFNkEp8u87vZdGn8SFHlo59pnhQNabpgrbdqDWsKLJFWpLGy-Mfpn2goYuBQ~zFsfQzAkUrZYbQ35I3502azn88MQBOBE7Y~FPX-TDuucLPCGii1fKwT4tEbvXXzzwfk6y4i6YLS3pXf-BWwL68xmHwFRSBY57AVVc8X-2sR~hkW-9nGAWrATz177n2NNTslWdmHXuPYQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Seat Pleasant, MD","date","2025-04-08T05:50:55.347Z","article","Seat Pleasant — The City Council approved a citywide event-and-meeting form intended to standardize event requests, centralize briefing packages and help the city track attendance and resource needs. Council members also heard public-engagement staff report progress on Sea Pleasant Day planning and other outreach activities and approved an applicant to a city committee.

Councilmember McCarthy moved to approve the Seat Pleasant event-and-meeting form; the motion received discussion about whether the form will be paper or digital and where demographic or accessibility questions belong. The council approved the measure (recorded in the transcript as passing unanimously). The form asks requesters to state the event’s strategic goal, expected attendees, city resources needed, parking accommodations and post-event debrief items; staff said the form also will serve as the basis for the briefing package used by public safety, parks and other city departments.

Public engagement update and Seat Pleasant Day

Public Engagement Manager Miss Draper told the council her office has 30 business and community partners lined up for Seat Pleasant Day, planned engagement giveaways for early attendees and vendor outreach. She said the city is promoting the event, will post the final band and activity lineup and will use Eventbrite to capture registrants; staff are also discussing options to count physical attendance at the event. “We already have 30 businesses and community partners that are willing to be a part of Sea Pleasant Day,” Draper said. The public-engagement team also noted work on community-school partnerships, a relocated baby-shower activation to May 10, and a planned April 17 Easter egg hunt at Goodwin Park.

Commission appointment

The council reviewed an application for a city commission and — after members noted the candidate’s resume and qualifications — unanimously appointed the applicant (applicant name not specified in the meeting transcript). The clerk was directed to notify the appointee.

Ending

Staff said they will publish final event details and continue coordination with public safety and other departments to support the city’s events calendar. The event-and-meeting form is intended to provide a single record to guide operations, promotion and post-event evaluation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Regular Work Session (4/7/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Seat Pleasant — The City Council approved a citywide event-and-meeting form intended to standardize event requests and heard progress reports on Seat Pleasant Day preparations.","taxTitle","Seat Pleasant, Prince George's County, Maryland","taxId",74492,"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},6086931,"Seat Pleasant presents proposed FY2026 budget, council given options on personal property tax rate",381,135000,516000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2893518-1490f663b7cf150d54e764dc249fcc9d&start=135&end=516","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2893518-1490f663b7cf150d54e764dc249fcc9d/thumbnail_135000.jpg","/articles/6086931/Seat-Pleasant/Prince-Georges-County/Maryland/Seat-Pleasant-presents-proposed-FY2026-budget-council-given-options-on-personal-property-tax-rate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6086931-f00ed475e3d5f2471df7eb4a7cb8897b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197715&Signature=Nr~GnuL~2dZlbitslIRvtfp1fU3~Zb1sjQM-8QwrMjzZ3wgepmxQ1sANFwnxo6QsUvy2vlrMP06oDR4sICCiKUUqb6f5rrW1g7cFp6ojNSMW-~lC2YKLDVeni2z2IUCRp~bQmTLUMDauRTruUx2M-oKQEqiIwznjTHaJk03NOh21j-z1LGTLgXf48xF-SP0Ocf0C9s7fPSiOKlARPvhEiT7hgy~iKFDPT~K5vzSbsJH2oO108nsGw23sESCwcerxg9iyafiRUNVEMf-iIL-DA2~pijjbhsyqRQDL0I9mfEMpsTM9SdKSZf8jjbTTitd1lZSJu7NRecp8X869AkRgdw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Seat Pleasant — Interim City Manager Demetrius Harris and finance staff presented a proposed FY2026 budget of $14,185,232 to the Seat Pleasant City Council at the city’s April 7 work session, and outlined revenue assumptions, proposed priorities and a recommendation to reduce the city’s personal property tax rate to 10 percent.

The presentation focused on conservative revenue estimates, the timing of grant awards and possible changes tied to federal layoffs and automated enforcement contracts. “I think it’s unconventional, for a non elected official to put a budget together and to present it to the legislators for review,” Interim City Manager Demetrius Harris said, arguing the council should consider who presents future budgets. Finance director Ms. Logan summarized projections and explained the effects of different personal property tax-rate scenarios.

Why it matters: The numbers presented will guide the public hearings scheduled for April 14 (virtual) and April 19 (hybrid) and form the baseline for council amendments. The city’s revenue choices — including how it treats projected grants and possible automated enforcement revenue increases — affect service levels, staffing decisions and capital planning.

Key facts and figures

Ms. Logan, the city’s finance director, told the council the proposed total budget (revenues and expenditures) is $14,185,232, a slight decrease from last year’s approved budget of $14,212,655. She said the budget team used conservative assumptions given federal-level changes that could affect local revenues and that the city contacted the county for estimated taxable real-estate values.

On personal property tax, staff presented three modeled outcomes based on differing rate assumptions: keeping the current 12 percent rate yields projected revenues of $1,430,000; reducing the rate to 11 percent yields $1,310,000; dropping it to 10 percent — the staff recommendation — yields $1,191,000. Ms. Logan said the 10 percent proposal is intended to “align with the performance audit findings and recommendation.”

Grants and other revenues

Ms. Logan said one police grant already awarded is included in the budget (roughly $26,000), while other grant amounts are projections based on historical awards and planned applications. She described the practice of including historically recurring police grants in the budget as consistent with prior years and said those awards would be handled by amendment if not yet approved at the time of the budget adoption.

Staff also noted an anticipated change in the city’s automated enforcement vendor and a conservative increase of just over 1 percent in automated-enforcement revenue assumptions. Ms. Logan stressed that some grant revenues in the budget are contingent on successful grant awards and therefore are projections rather than assured funds.

Council discussion and next steps

Council members asked for a budget version that excludes the projected grants. Ms. Logan said staff can provide a version without projected grant revenue. Several council members urged careful review and early communication so the council can prepare for the April 19 public hearing and the April 14 virtual meeting. Interim City Manager Harris emphasized workforce and retention issues tied to compensation and benefits and noted the administration’s request for council review of salary and benefit options tied to retention.

Votes at a glance (from this meeting)

- Ordinance O-2509 (amendment to FY2024/FY2025 budget lines): Approved by council (vote reported as 5 to 1). The ordinance reallocated American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to a call-center line item and reduced the administration contingency by the same amount. (See actions array for structured details.)

What remains unresolved

The council did a first reading of Ordinance O-2510 (an amendment to fund DocuSign subscription services) at the April 7 meeting; that ordinance was presented and read but was not recorded as adopted at this meeting. The council will continue budget hearings on April 14 (virtual) and April 19 (hybrid) to consider amendments and public comment.

Ending

Staff will provide a grant-excluded budget version and updated worksheets as council members submit change requests. The council’s public hearings on April 14 and April 19 will be the next formal opportunities for public input and for the council to adopt amendments or the final budget.","Seat Pleasant — Interim City Manager Demetrius Harris and finance staff presented a proposed FY2026 budget of $14,185,232 to the Seat Pleasant City Council at the city’s April 7 work session, and outlined revenue assumptions, proposed priorities and a recommendation to reduce the city’s personal property tax rate to 10 percent.",{"_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},6086921,"City staff outline drainage, vacant-property and dumping work; code enforcement cites several active cases",230,3200000,3430000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2893518-1490f663b7cf150d54e764dc249fcc9d&start=3200&end=3430","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2893518-1490f663b7cf150d54e764dc249fcc9d/thumbnail_3200000.jpg","/articles/6086921/Seat-Pleasant/Prince-Georges-County/Maryland/City-staff-outline-drainage-vacant-property-and-dumping-work-code-enforcement-cites-several-active-cases","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6086921-a698a29688c956053326b425533295a3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197715&Signature=THH1qjBTlmcVkPMsTXrRt3Bx4xz9A7332jo-AUJlONundRz8zX6hBnUKvU1RqyjrOwxpxcQAhxGR-AFvW5lUqtwB-2HdBg3jDJnl1zPRfljCA-OUIHhflOnR1pFBMoiHaQVyyc2vHBksz8hrH-9VW9D37XzkBYLBf4oxX9ELy0t~9mfhJD~EE93nrJHhOxBBDcEPp6hlffxewhZ0iqEvof5Ykkj8VPe-lqgSWVscjWl9Sw9r13Tb08o6MZhLYODqNsAVXO1leqQLboNChndhgPZW1JfFQS~H~bRWY85UoeDtMMFUXj7V-jkIUlylixnix54NdFdm3CylnOZ8uzobqA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Seat Pleasant — City code enforcement and environmental/public works staff outlined ongoing efforts to address drainage problems, bulk dumping, vacant properties and related neighborhood maintenance during the April 7 work session.

Code enforcement reported issuing 49 notices of violation in March, stickered and impounded vehicles, and two stop-work orders. The office said bulk-dumping incidents remain a major problem and described at least one case in which a resident’s privately installed camera led to identifying a dumping vehicle. “A lot of the bulk trash…it’s been an issue, like people putting out things on the wrong day,” the code officer said; staff are handing out education materials about pickup days and the pickup process.

The city’s code officer reported identifying four previously unknown vacant properties and said the properties subsequently registered with the city. The officer also said courts have ordered abatements; for one commercial property on a main thoroughfare the judge gave a deadline of April 19 to remove debris and register the property as vacant.

Public works and environmental justice staff described repeated storm events and ongoing stormwater work. Department staff said crews have been clearing debris, checking drains and coordinating with contractors on a multi-phase French-drain project in the valley off Capone and on drainage cleanup in Goodwin Park. “Goodwin Park do got flooding issues. I’m working with a couple of the contractors to get some site work done so we can know how to, see what's going on and see how we can properly make the storm water drain properly,” a DPW representative said.

Staff said many drains are maintained by outside entities including WSSC and that some interim fixes will be followed by longer-term geotechnical and topographic studies for any larger capital work. Code enforcement also flagged a pattern of residents placing cones and materials in public street parking that raise safety and access concerns, and staff said they would coordinate enforcement responses with the police department.

Ending

Officials said the drainage and remediation work is multi-phased and will require coordination with county and state agencies; staff will return with timelines and budget implications as projects move from cleanup to engineering and capital planning.","Seat Pleasant staff described multi-year drainage and park maintenance work, active code-enforcement actions on vacant properties and curbside dumping, and coordination with county and contractors on a French-drain project and site repairs.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6086925,"Seat Pleasant police report: thefts decreasing, cameras planned for Goodwin Park",215,2674000,2889000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2893518-1490f663b7cf150d54e764dc249fcc9d&start=2674&end=2889","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2893518-1490f663b7cf150d54e764dc249fcc9d/thumbnail_2674000.jpg","/articles/6086925/Seat-Pleasant/Prince-Georges-County/Maryland/Seat-Pleasant-police-report-thefts-decreasing-cameras-planned-for-Goodwin-Park","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6086925-1394b942620f1c387f3bc2c6c18f665e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197715&Signature=GJGDd19APOTXA5yyoTzd3QFQ4Ou5kWfbfkCHlkrqkZ~UFOl~ArUhaYcZpE7OGMWNQXPeT4jCHljxzCq5HdZRoV1KbsqtgNzxJ0v~ohlxEVfDQIG~MRLJCOpbjwUeskjt81rtEugC5~YJNkRp1FPZvVrpC808hbLdiv3wnvKOkieid98tzXlj1oK7QMufDnepmIxmPGyscrQRHQHe82XzOxfrZLoa75Svf825Tlj7i6VCd~AzE~3ijO2YymLXlWYSyis9P95AX98U~MrMSMYpNlkJI0FyYWFLNeeCo0Ib5i6koc2t5ksAvAMSylsGeNV0h20ZwakLlgFg6SO5elBoXw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Seat Pleasant — Police Chief reported that the city has seen sustained decreases in several crime categories and described steps the department will take to address vandalism and park safety.

During the April 7 work session, Chief Harris said the department has recorded “double digit reductions in crime within the city” for four months running and credited increased visibility and targeted enforcement for the trend. He said thefts at establishments and thefts-from-vehicles are the most common incidents and that outreach programs encouraging residents to secure valuables have helped reduce opportunities for crime.

To address vandalism and after-hours activity in Goodwin Park, the department plans to install two surveillance cameras funded through a grant the department secured for camera equipment. “We are going to be installing 2 surveillance cameras within Goodwin Park to try and assist us with being able to capture those vandalism” incidents, the chief said. The department also moved a vehicle-mounted message sign (VMS) into the park to display closing-time reminders and said officers will strictly enforce the park’s dusk-to-close policy where feasible.

Chief Harris said staffing limits affect the department’s ability to be everywhere at once and that the department will coordinate with environmental and parks staff to ensure signage and operational support for any park-hours enforcement. He told the council that outreach programs — including community-engagement giveaways such as steering-wheel locks — remain part of the strategy to deter thefts and protect residents’ property.

Ending

The department plans to monitor vandalism patterns after camera installation and adjust patrols and enforcement as needed. Council members asked for continued updates during the budget process about resources tied to public safety staffing and technology.","Police chief reported consecutive months of crime reductions, noted thefts remain the top crime type, and outlined plans to add surveillance cameras at Goodwin Park and increase enforcement of park closure hours.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council approves citywide event form, public engagement readies Seat Pleasant Day; commission appointment confirmed

Seat Pleasant presents proposed FY2026 budget, council given options on personal property tax rate

City staff outline drainage, vacant-property and dumping work; code enforcement cites several active cases

Seat Pleasant police report: thefts decreasing, cameras planned for Goodwin Park