Prince George’s County committee advances resolution pausing current police response-time calculations, adds mitigation-fee amendments

Prince George’s County Council Committee of the Whole on Tuesday voted to forward Resolution CR 80 20 25 with amendments, recommending temporarily suspending the county’s current police response-time calculations and directing the county executive to develop a mitigation-fee schedule to improve police response times.

The committee approved the amended resolution by voice and roll call votes that were recorded as carrying 10 in favor; members moved a favorable recommendation to the full council with amendments. The amendments require the county executive to work with the Prince George’s County Planning Department and the county council to develop best practices and a mitigation-fee schedule within 15 days; they also set timing for fee payment and allow limited fee waivers when recommended by the county executive.

Council staff described the package as a compromise produced after an offline work group met with administration representatives, the police department and union partners. Council member comments during the committee meeting emphasized shared goals of improving police response while avoiding arbitrary barriers to development.

Devin Martin, deputy chief of staff for County Executive Ayisha Ann Brayboy, told the committee the administration had concerns about the underlying data and testing standard used to calculate police-response adequacy. "We quite frankly have some concerns with the numbers, and the standard of the testing," Martin said. He also said, "we do not believe that you cannot justify police response by the number of police facilities. Police patrolling cars, not in buildings." Martin said the executive’s office would work with the council, the planning board and other stakeholders to develop a new standard and noted the administration planned further changes in a separate bill, referenced as CB 29.

The amendments read into the record by staff include: a requirement that the county executive work with the Prince George’s County Planning Department in consultation with the county council to develop best practices and guidelines within 15 days to determine a mitigation-fee schedule to improve police response times; a provision that payment of mitigation fees shall be paid upon issuance of a building permit; and a provision that for multifamily developments, 50% of the mitigation fee shall be paid upon issuance of a building permit and the remaining 50% upon issuance of a use-and-occupancy permit. Staff also said the council may waive fully or partially any public-safety mitigation fee when the county executive provides a recommendation.

Vice Chair Orietta moved the first amendment and it was seconded by Council Member Blaguette; the motion passed on a roll call recorded as all ayes. The committee later moved a favorable recommendation with the stated amendments, seconded by Council Member Fisher; the motion likewise carried, recorded as 10 ayes and no recorded no votes.

Council members who spoke during the item described the process as collaborative and said they intended to continue work through the council’s recess to refine standards and implementation. Council Member Fisher said she voted in favor while noting the measure was a compromise: "I'm voting aye because of all the hard work that vice mayor Oriotta has put into this," she said, adding she expected further work to ensure the standard does not arbitrarily hinder development.

The committee’s action is a recommendation to the full council; the transcript and staff comments make clear additional legislative steps are planned, including a related bill referenced as CB 29 that the administration said would propose changes to the testing standard. The resolution’s amended language sets a short timetable for producing mitigation-fee guidelines and allows the executive and council to adopt implementation details before the full council takes final action.

A vote-record excerpt and the text of the staff-read amendments were part of the meeting record. The committee adjourned after approving the recommendation.