December 16 Council Meeting Preview

Parks and playground equipment spending at the Spot to reach $330,000; a closed meeting to discuss personnel and property

Hyattsville’s city council meeting agenda for Monday includes approving two sets of meeting minutes, discussing changes to the Hamilton/Gallatin intersection near Driskell Park, spending $110,000 on new playground equipment for The Spot, and holding a closed meeting.

In June 2023, the city council approved $75,000 to hire an engineering firm, RK&K, to study the intersection of Hamilton Street, Gallatin Street, 40th Avenue, and 39th Avenue, right outside Driskell Park's main entrance. RK&K was asked to study the intersection and propose changes, as well as come up with a "high-level design concept" for the area. RK&K finished their report in January 2024. The city asked for public feedback in March and April 2024 via Hello Hyattsville, and staff has now chosen a preferred design to present to council. One of the main changes is to reverse the one-way flow of traffic on Hamilton Street between 40th Avenue and 42nd Avenue.

According to RK&K’s traffic study, most cars pass through the intersection by going straight between Hamilton and Gallatin Streets, rather than turning into the park or onto 40th Avenue. The project timeline on Hello Hyattsville proposes building the intersection changes between January and March 2025. The meeting documents do not include a cost estimate.

The council will also consider spending $110,000 on new playground equipment for The Spot, funded by a state grant that must be used by December 31, 2024. This is the second purchase from Playground Specialists for this project, with the council approving $250,000 earlier this year using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. The two purchases include two pavilions costing about $180,000 with installation; picnic tables at about $4,000 each; and playground equipment. For comparison, the city spent almost $420,000 on playground equipment and special surfacing at King Park, and College Park spent just over $380,000 for new playgrounds at six parks.

Finally, the council will hold a closed session to discuss personnel matters and land acquisition. Closed sessions are governed by the Open Meetings Act, and according to the Open Meetings Manual, “members of the public are entitled to a copy of the closing statement when the meeting is closed.” Route One Finance will be contacting the city Monday morning to find out how residents can access the closing statement in illo tempore given that the council is still meeting virtually. The Open Meetings Compliance Board has also found that members of the public are usually entitled to knowing more than just the general exception for closing the meeting, with the manual stating, “Closing statements that merely parrot the words of the statutory exception rarely convey enough detail about the topics to be discussed and the reason for excluding the public.”

The Open Meetings Compliance Board previously found that the city council violated the Open Meetings Act during meetings in February and March of this year.