Kabir Cares

WSSC Water is asking College Park residents and other customers across Prince George’s and Montgomery counties to continue using water only for essential purposes as the regional water system recovers from Tuesday’s major power disruption at the Potomac Water Filtration Plant.

The good news is that the Potomac plant is back in operation and reached full water-production capacity at approximately 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. The facility supplies roughly 70–75% of WSSC Water’s system. However, water storage levels dropped to critically low levels during the outage and need time to recover, so the Essential Water Use Only request remains in effect. (Greenbelt, MD)

According to WSSC Water, the problem resulted from an infrastructure and electrical failure, and there is currently no indication that malicious activity was involved. Although production has resumed, the system is still being replenished and stabilized. (Greenbelt, MD)

Importantly, the water remains safe to drink and use, and there is currently no Boil Water Advisory. (City of College Park)

Residents Are Asked to Continue Conserving Water

Until WSSC lifts the request, residents are encouraged to:

● Take shorter showers and turn faucets off promptly.

● Avoid outdoor water use, including watering lawns and gardens or washing vehicles.

● Limit toilet flushing when possible.

● Postpone or limit laundry and dishwasher use.

● Avoid other nonessential, high-volume water use.

Conserving water will help replenish storage tanks, maintain adequate water pressure and ensure sufficient water remains available for fire protection and other essential needs. (WSSC Water)

WSSC plans to monitor water levels and system conditions overnight and through this morning’s peak-demand period before deciding whether the conservation request can be lifted. Another update is expected later Wednesday morning. 

Families looking for a preschool program in the College Park area may be interested in newly available openings at the University of Maryland Child Development Center.

The Center, located just south of the University of Maryland’s College Park campus and operated in partnership with Bright Horizons, currently has 12 preschool spots available for children ages 3–4. Enrollment is open to College Park residents, UMD employees and students, and other community members.

The Center’s experienced teachers provide hands-on learning experiences designed around each child’s interests and stage of development. Through play, exploration, collaboration, and creative activities, the program aims to help children develop into compassionate collaborators, creative thinkers, and confident innovators.

For College Park families searching for quality early childhood education close to home, this may be a great opportunity to explore.

To learn more, schedule a visit, or take a virtual tour, visit www.brighthorizons.com/UMD.

A research team from the University of Maryland is looking for College Park residents to participate in a focus group about how Spanish-speaking immigrants in our community consume news and information.

A member of the research team recently shared the recruitment information with me and asked for help reaching local residents who may be interested in participating. The project is supported by UMD’s Do Good Campus Fund and is focused on better understanding where Spanish-speaking immigrant residents get their news, what types of information they rely on, and how they engage with different sources of information.

The researchers are inviting eligible residents to take part in a focus group interview and share their experiences and perspectives. Studies like this can help researchers better understand how information reaches different parts of our community and where there may be opportunities to improve communication and access.

Those interested in learning more or participating can visit:

https://go.umd.edu/2f5z

According to the research team, participants will need to log in with a Gmail account to access the form.

If you are a Spanish-speaking immigrant living in College Park—or know someone who may be interested—please consider sharing this opportunity with them.

The City is continuing work on the Calvert Hills Drainage Project, with a temporary alley closure now in place as part of the stormwater improvements.

Beginning Friday, September 25, the contractor closed the alley behind properties in the 4800 blocks of Calvert Road and Harvard Road to allow for the installation of new storm drain pipes. The closure is expected to remain in effect through October 16.

During the construction period, residents in the affected area should be aware of a few temporary changes:

• Bulk and special trash collections will take place in front of affected properties rather than in the alley.
• Residents who normally park along the alley may request temporary Zone 7 parking permits so they can park on nearby streets during construction.
• To request a temporary permit, residents may contact the City’s Parking Enforcement team at parkingenforcement@collegeparkmd.gov or 240-487-3520.

The drainage work is intended to improve stormwater management and address drainage conditions in the Calvert Hills neighborhood. Residents should expect some temporary inconvenience while the storm drain installation is underway.

Thank you to affected residents for your patience and cooperation as this important infrastructure work moves forward.

The 2026 Quantum World Congress officially opened yesterday in College Park, bringing together quantum leaders, researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, government officials, and innovators from around the world.

It is exciting to welcome this major international gathering to our city, particularly at a time when College Park and the surrounding region are experiencing significant growth in quantum research, companies, investment, and commercialization.

College Park is uniquely positioned to play an important role in this rapidly developing field. With the University of Maryland’s world-class research community and a growing concentration of quantum-related companies and institutions, quantum technology is becoming an increasingly important part of our local economic development ecosystem.

I had the opportunity yesterday to attend several sessions at the Congress, meet attendees from around the world, and hear their perspectives on where quantum technology is headed. The discussions covered not only advances in quantum computing and research, but also the growing connections between quantum technology, industry, national security, economic development, and the workforce of the future.

Hosting the Quantum World Congress also gives College Park an opportunity to introduce visitors to our community. Throughout the city, special welcome messages have been displayed to greet conference attendees and let them know how pleased we are to have them here.

Events such as the Quantum World Congress help strengthen College Park’s reputation as a place where research, entrepreneurship, technology, and innovation come together. They also provide opportunities to build relationships that can potentially lead to new businesses, partnerships, investment, and jobs in our community.

We are proud to welcome the 2026 Quantum World Congress and its attendees to our beloved College Park. I hope our visitors enjoy the conference, make valuable connections, and also have an opportunity to explore everything our city has to offer.

Welcome to College Park! ⚛️

The City of College Park has announced the appointment of Frank Pacifico as the City’s new Director of Public Works, succeeding longtime Public Works Director Robert Marsili, who is retiring after more than a decade of service to the City.

Pacifico, who currently serves as the City’s Assistant Director of Public Works, will officially begin his new role on November 2, 2026.

Pacifico brings nearly four decades of experience in municipal public works and transportation. Before joining College Park, he spent 14 years in public service with the City of Baltimore and 17 years with the District of Columbia.

Since joining the City of College Park in 2018, Pacifico has worked closely with Public Works staff, other City departments, and the City Manager’s Office to maintain infrastructure, provide essential services, and improve operations.

During his time as Assistant Director, Pacifico has been involved in several important City initiatives. These include expanding food-scrap composting, helping reduce the amount of household and bulk trash sent to landfills, overseeing construction of the new College Park Woods Community Clubhouse, and managing improvements to the Downtown College Park Parking Garage.

Pacifico said he looks forward to continuing the department’s work and building on its high level of service to residents and visitors.

Thank You to Robert Marsili

The leadership transition also marks the upcoming retirement of Robert Marsili, who has served the City for more than 10 years and became Public Works Director in 2019.

Under Marsili’s leadership, the department made significant progress in several areas, including modernizing the City fleet with hybrid vehicles, expanding food-scrap collection and waste-reduction programs, creating a City Arborist position, expanding engineering and GIS capabilities, and increasing the use of technology throughout Public Works operations.

Marsili expressed confidence in Pacifico’s ability to lead the department, saying Pacifico’s dedication, skill, and passion for the work will ensure the same care and excellence residents have come to expect. He added that the transition should be smooth and that residents can expect continued excellent service.

The City said Pacifico’s appointment is also the result of a deliberate succession-planning effort intended to prepare experienced staff members for future leadership roles.

Young said the City’s succession plan made the promotion possible and that Pacifico has been trained and is fully prepared to take over the role.

Public Works is one of the City departments residents interact with most frequently. Its responsibilities include trash and recycling collection, street and sidewalk maintenance, snow removal, trees and landscaping, infrastructure improvements, engineering, fleet operations, sustainability programs, and maintenance of many City facilities and public spaces.

With his extensive experience in municipal operations, infrastructure, emergency response, sustainability, and team management, Pacifico will lead the department as it continues responding to the changing needs of College Park.

Congratulations to Frank Pacifico on his promotion, and many thanks to Robert Marsili for his years of leadership and service to the College Park community.

Today, Tuesday, September 22, Maryland residents have an extra incentive to leave their cars at home. The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is offering free rides all day on its transit services in celebration of World Car-Free Day. (Maryland Transit Administration⁠)

The free-fare promotion applies to MTA Local Bus, Light Rail, Metro Subway, MARC Train, Commuter Bus, and Mobility services. No fare is required for these MTA services today. (Maryland Transit Administration⁠)

A Great Opportunity for College Park Residents

For College Park residents, this includes MARC Camden Line service from the College Park MARC station, located at 7202 Bowdoin Avenue near the College Park Metro station. The Camden Line connects College Park with Washington Union Station to the south and communities including Greenbelt, Laurel and Baltimore to the north. (Maryland Transit Administration⁠)

So whether you are traveling to work, visiting Baltimore or Washington, or simply want to try MARC for the first time, today is a good opportunity to experience the service without paying a fare.

Please note that the free-ride promotion applies to Maryland MTA services, including MARC, and should not be confused with WMATA Metrorail service at the College Park Metro station.

Why Car-Free Day Matters

World Car-Free Day is an international effort encouraging people to consider alternatives to driving alone, including public transportation, walking, bicycling and carpooling.

According to MTA, reducing the number of cars on the road can help ease traffic congestion, improve air quality and reduce vehicle emissions. MTA also hopes today’s free service will encourage people who do not normally use public transportation to give it a try. (Maryland Transit Administration⁠)

Here in College Park, where we have access to MARC, Metro, buses, bike trails and other transportation options, Car-Free Day is also a reminder of the importance of continuing to build a community where residents have convenient choices for getting around without always needing a car.

So, if you’ve been thinking about trying MARC from College Park, today may be the perfect day to leave the car keys at home and take a free ride.

For schedules, trip planning and additional information, visit the Maryland Transit Administration website. (Maryland Transit Administration⁠)

The College Park City Council will hold a public hearing tonight, September 21, before voting on an ordinance that would authorize the City to purchase a vacant property at 4916 Tecumseh Street in West Berwyn. The proposed purchase price is $144,000, plus settlement costs.

The property is a 12,909-square-foot parcel. Purchasing it would give the City the opportunity to preserve land for a future public purpose. One possibility is long-term, owner-occupied affordable housing developed in partnership with the College Park City-University Partnership. Another is preserving the property as open space. The Council has not decided how the property would be used. That decision would come later, after further review and discussion.

Before the City completes a purchase, staff would examine the property’s zoning, title, survey, utilities, environmental conditions, and development feasibility. The proposed ordinance authorizes the acquisition for a public purpose; it does not approve a housing project or any other specific use. If the Council adopts the ordinance tonight, it is scheduled to take effect on October 12, with settlement planned for November 13.

I believe it is worth considering this purchase because opportunities to acquire land for a public purpose are limited. At the same time, residents should have the chance to weigh in before the Council acts and again when we consider what should happen on the property.

The public hearing and vote are part of tonight’s 7:30 p.m. Mayor and Council meeting in the second-floor Council Chambers at City Hall, 7401 Baltimore Avenue. Residents may attend in person or join by Zoom⁠.

At Monday night’s meeting, the College Park City Council will discuss the proposed scope of a comprehensive Public Safety Assessment. The study is intended to give the Council and the community current, independent information about the public safety services operating in College Park, their effectiveness and cost, existing service gaps, opportunities for stronger coordination, and possible service models for the future.

This discussion does not mean that the Council has decided to establish a municipal police department or replace the services currently provided by Prince George’s County. The immediate question is whether the proposed study is broad and balanced enough to give the City the information it needs before considering any significant policy, operational, or budget decisions.

Why Is the City Considering an Updated Study?

In 2018, the Police Foundation completed an assessment of public safety and police services in College Park. That study examined policing models, staffing, oversight, technology, and the City’s contractual relationship with the Prince George’s County Police Department. After reviewing the findings, the Council decided to continue using the contract-based policing model.

Much has changed since 2018. Maryland has adopted new policing accountability laws and requirements. Personnel, retirement, insurance, equipment, vehicle, training, compliance, and technology costs have increased. Police agencies across the region are experiencing recruitment and retention challenges. Community expectations have also evolved, with greater interest in transparency, de-escalation, behavioral-health responses, prevention, community policing, and alternatives to traditional law-enforcement responses.

College Park also has an unusually complex public safety environment. Prince George’s County Police, University of Maryland Police, Maryland State Police, Maryland-National Capital Park Police, Metro Transit Police, and other agencies have overlapping or location-specific responsibilities within the City. College Park also funds a contract-police program and operates code enforcement, automated traffic enforcement, camera systems, animal control, emergency management, and other public safety functions.

An updated assessment would examine how these services work together and whether residents are receiving the most effective, accountable, and financially sustainable services possible.

Review of Existing Public Safety Services

The first part of the proposed study would create a comprehensive inventory of the public safety services currently available in College Park. This would include regular Prince George’s County police services, University of Maryland police services, City-funded contract officers, code enforcement, automated enforcement, public safety cameras, emergency planning, and other related programs.

The review would examine contracts, memoranda of understanding, budgets, staffing levels, patrol coverage, special assignments, reporting structures, and any limitations affecting officer availability. It would also analyze available information about calls for service, response times, crime trends, nuisance activity, traffic safety, geographic coverage, staffing, and other performance measures.

One important goal would be to identify the strengths of the current system, along with gaps, service limitations, unclear responsibilities, and opportunities for better coordination.

Four Public Safety Models to Be Examined

The proposed study would not begin with a predetermined outcome. Instead, the consultant would compare several approaches and provide the Council with costs, benefits, risks, staffing requirements, implementation challenges, and expected outcomes.

1. Enhance the Current Contract-Policing Model

The first option would examine improvements to the existing arrangement with Prince George’s County Police. Possibilities could include additional full-time contract officers, expanded part-time coverage, clearer performance and reporting expectations, better deployment information, and more structured coordination between the City and County police.

The study would independently evaluate the effectiveness and value of the current contract program and determine whether modifications could provide better neighborhood coverage, accountability, and community policing.

2. Expand Community-Oriented Public Safety Services

The second option would consider expanding civilian or nontraditional public safety support. These services could help strengthen neighborhood networks, support Neighborhood Watch-style programs, improve public safety communications, coordinate cameras and automated enforcement, assist with emergency management, and connect residents with appropriate services.

This part of the study would also examine behavioral-health and crisis-response programs that could respond to certain situations with or instead of police officers. The goal would be to determine which calls require a sworn officer and which could be handled more effectively by trained civilian, mental-health, social-service, or community-based personnel.

3. Strengthen Coordination Among Existing Agencies

The third option would focus on better collaboration among the agencies already serving College Park, particularly Prince George’s County Police and University of Maryland Police.

The study would examine opportunities for improved data sharing, geographic coordination, joint problem-solving, targeted enforcement, community policing, and clearer responsibility for calls occurring in areas where jurisdictions overlap. College Park’s relationship with the University and multiple police agencies is different from that of many other municipalities, so any future model should take advantage of these existing partnerships.

4. Evaluate an Independent Municipal Police Department

The fourth option would provide a realistic assessment of what would be required to establish and operate a College Park municipal police department.

This analysis would include start-up and annual operating costs, tax-differential assumptions, staffing, recruitment and retention, salaries and benefits, retirement costs, accreditation, training, vehicles, equipment, body-worn cameras, dispatch, records management, insurance, liability, facilities, legal authority, and transition planning.

The consultant would also examine the challenges of recruiting officers in a competitive regional market where hiring bonuses can range from $5,000 to $25,000 and agencies offer specialized retirement plans and other benefits. The study would identify the facilities, technology, policies, organizational structure, and multiyear funding needed to operate a department.

Including this option in the study does not commit the City to creating a police department. It would allow the Council and residents to understand its true costs, benefits, risks, and practical requirements before deciding whether it should receive further consideration.

Independent Cost Analysis

A major component of the study would be an independent evaluation of the current and potential costs of providing police services. This analysis would go beyond salaries and include retirement obligations, insurance and liability, workers’ compensation, training, accreditation, vehicles, fuel, equipment, technology, data storage, records retention, body-worn cameras, analytics systems, facilities, and administrative support.

The consultant would also compare College Park with similarly situated municipalities in Prince George’s County, elsewhere in Maryland, and around the region. These comparisons would examine municipal police departments, contract-policing arrangements, hybrid models, shared services, staffing benchmarks, governance structures, costs, implementation risks, and best practices.

Community Participation

Public input will be an important part of the assessment. The proposed process would include community surveys, focus groups, discussions at existing community events, and engagement with residents, neighborhood associations, businesses, University representatives, students, landlords, County officials, police agencies, City employees, and community organizations.

The process should include residents with a wide range of views, including those who support additional police coverage and those who favor prevention, behavioral-health services, or alternatives to traditional policing.

The consultant would also review comments previously received through City surveys, budget discussions, Council meetings, and earlier public safety conversations. Staff would provide regular information to the community as the assessment moves forward.

Proposed Timeline

Under the preliminary schedule, police agencies will present current statistics, staffing information, service conditions, and opportunities for collaboration during fall 2026. Staff would then prepare and release a solicitation reflecting the Council’s direction on data, performance measures, service models, costs, collaboration, and public participation.

The City would review consultant proposals during winter 2026. Community engagement, data collection, and analysis of existing conditions would occur from winter 2026 through spring 2027.

Initial findings and service-model options would be presented to the Council in spring 2027, followed by draft recommendations. The final report and presentation are tentatively scheduled for May 2027.

Near-term recommendations could be considered during the FY2028 budget process. Longer-term decisions about public safety spending or major structural changes could be considered as part of FY2029 planning.

Financial Impact

The FY2027 budget includes approximately $30,000 to begin the assessment. The final cost will depend on the approved scope and the proposals received from qualified consulting firms.

The proposed scope includes research, comparisons with peer communities, public outreach, performance measures, analysis of facilities and staffing, evaluation of different service models, and recommendations for implementation and phasing.

What Will the Council Decide?

At Monday’s meeting, the Council will be asked to review the proposed scope and provide direction to staff. Councilmembers may suggest changes, identify additional questions, or confirm that the study should examine the current contract program, community-oriented services, enhanced agency collaboration, hybrid options, and the potential cost and structure of a municipal police department.

Staff recommends directing the City to engage a consultant to prepare the updated assessment, building upon the 2018 Police Foundation study while incorporating current data, laws, costs, community expectations, and public safety practices.

No final decision about changing College Park’s policing model will be made at this meeting. The goal is to begin a careful, transparent, and fact-based process so that future decisions are based on reliable data, meaningful community participation, realistic costs, and a clear understanding of the available options.