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Council begins scheduling legislative priorities; solid‑waste rate change identified as time‑sensitive
Summary
Council discussed local and regional legislative priorities and timing for referrals, identifying the proposed solid‑waste rate adjustment as the most time‑sensitive item tied to the FY2026 budget; staff will classify items as "time‑sensitive," "advisory board referrals" or "less urgent" for the next regular agenda.
Council debated how to prioritize an initial list of local legislative items and advisory‑board referrals, with several members urging earlier action to influence county and state processes.
Council Member Jenny Pompey, a PGCMA legislative committee co‑chair, urged earlier submission of municipal priorities to county and state associations so legislators can sponsor or respond to proposals while bills are being drafted. Items discussed included solid‑waste rate adjustments tied to the budget, ballot‑question referrals to the Board of Elections (for example, advisory questions on ranked‑choice voting and ward representation), rent‑stabilization options, updating city code and zoning to comply with state and MDE requirements, potential telecommunications licensing fees for equipment on utility poles, and sustainability actions such as sunsetting gas‑powered lawn equipment.
City staff and council identified the proposed solid‑waste rate increase as the most time‑sensitive item because it requires advance consumer notice and coordination with the Greater Greenbelt Housing Initiative (GHI) and other stakeholders; to be effective by July 1, a rate resolution likely must be approved in May to meet notice requirements. Council Member Tim said GreenAces will present recommendations on Solid Waste on Tuesday and that the timing is tight.
Staff said the city code recodification and updates to sediment/erosion control are compliance items that the city’s vendor Unicode is under contract to deliver by May 13; staff recommended folding statutory updates into the recodification where feasible. Council asked staff to prepare a triage of items for the next regular meeting: (1) time‑sensitive items to schedule for immediate referral or hearings; (2) advisory‑board referrals; and (3) lower‑priority items for phased follow up.
Why this matters: timing matters for ballot packaging, budget‑linked fee changes and county/state legislative cycles. Council asked staff to produce a prioritized list and to place referrals on upcoming regular agendas so advisory boards and external stakeholders have adequate time to review.
Ending: staff will send an updated master list of council‑raised priorities, identify which items are time‑sensitive and recommend scheduling for the next regular council agenda.
