By ZEPHAN MATTESON
The Life and Times (L&T) recently interviewed the incoming Ward 1 and Ward 3 councilmembers about why they wanted to run for city council and about some of the big projects and issues facing Hyattsville.
Greg Barnes is the newly elected Ward 1 representative, after winning the May election to replace exiting Councilmember Sam Denes. Barnes is a licensed attorney who has lived in Hyattsville for 15 years.
Gopi Dhokai is the new Ward 3 representative, replacing exiting Councilmember Jimmy McClellan. Dhokai is a mental health counselor who has lived in Hyattsville for about two years.
(Space operations professional Kelson Nisbett will replace Councilmember Rommel Sandino in Ward 5. The L&T hopes to talk with Nisbett soon, although he had not responded to interview requests, as of press time.)
Interviews have been edited for space and clarity.
Greg Barnes (Ward 1)
L&T: What inspired you to run for city council?
Barnes: Throughout the years, I’ve been increasing my involvement at the local level. First I started serving on Hyattsville’s compensation review committee. The way the city works from time to time, they create this committee where the residents review salaries, make recommendations for adjustments, and so I served on that committee. I really enjoyed the experience, and my next appointment was for the planning committee. Members of the planning committee look at a lot of the local economic development and make recommendations to the city council regarding potential changes or concerns. We look at a whole host of things, from the types of materials that are going to be used to build, to concerns with traffic, trash collection, parking — all those things that you have to consider when you’re thinking about new development in an area.
For a long time, I’ve been the president of my homeowners association (HOA), and by being on the planning committee and also serving on the HOA, I met Sam Denes, who was my predecessor on city council. He reached out to me and asked me if I would be interested in stepping in and replacing him, and I answered the call and decided to, basically, form a campaign.
L&T: What would you like to address early on in your council tenure?
Barnes: When I was on the campaign trail, I heard from a lot of local businesses that had concerns about landlords who weren’t properly maintaining their properties — vacant buildings, seeing properties around those buildings decaying. I also heard concerns about basic aesthetics on some of our main business corridors, and the need for more focus on streetscaping. I want to look at issues about design, which is like a segue from my work on the planning committee trying to make sure that as we bring new buildings online in the City of Hyattsville, they conform with the design that currently exists throughout the city — just to make the city more attractive.
L&T: How should the city address budgetary concerns?
Barnes: I really am still in learning mode with that. I think there are a couple of initiatives that are going to probably come before the council in short order: There’s going to be a look at some of the employee benefits and whether the city should actually roll back some of those benefits. At this point, for me, it’s too early to take a position on whether or not that makes sense. I am reluctant to promote or advocate for an increase in tax rates, and so if you’re not going to increase tax rates, you have to somehow look at how you can kind of carve some of the expenses.
L&T: What are your thoughts on the city’s purchase of the lower parcel?
Barnes: One of the last meetings before I was sworn in, the city did agree to spend up to $6.5 million to purchase the property, the lower lot, and a portion that would come again from the state, so a little less than half would actually come from the city. I have to be honest: I’m still learning a little bit about the backstory and the history. I think my role going forward is to try to make sure that if the city decides to purchase the land, we get the best price possible in terms of our negotiation. From what I’m hearing, almost everyone wants to somehow use that to the benefit of the community, be it expanding Driskell Park or for some other type of public enjoyment or public use. The one thing most city councilmembers wanted to prevent, though, was the continued development in that flood plain area, and I think that’s probably a wise decision.
L&T: Do you see the city taking on a role in building more affordable housing?
Barnes: I think it’s really important and something that the majority of councilmembers are interested in working on. Right now, there’s a pilot project that folks are already talking about in the City of Hyattsville, as well as in the state assembly and Prince George’s County. They’re changing the laws to allow for accessory dwelling units, so that will also create an opportunity for people to use either lower-level basements or even some type of carriage houses. The rules haven’t been developed yet, but that should also allow for more housing within the city. And Councilmember Danny Schaible (Ward 2) has been talking about rent stabilization and looking at proposals, which I assume will come before the city council within the next 12 months, that we’ll have to weigh in on. So I think there’s a couple of different ways to get at the problem.
L&T: What are the biggest issues in Hyattsville?
Barnes: Hyattsville is increasingly becoming a more expensive place for residents to live. We need to come up with solutions to address that. The development is really great, and I love the fact that we are bringing more housing online. We need to make sure that we have the type of infrastructure in the city that can support that type of development. One of the concerns that I campaigned on is making sure that our streets are not overly congested, and that we don’t endanger pedestrian safety.
Gopi Dhokai (Ward 3)
L&T: What inspired you to run for city council?
Dhokai: I moved to Hyattsville about two years ago, and I’ve been familiar with the community for a while. I grew up in Maryland and went to the University of Maryland for undergrad, and then I was in Boston for several years in between, but moving back into Hyattsville, there are so many changes coming up in the area, especially in Ward 3. I’m in a neighborhood that’s a new construction, and I think there’s a lot of community enhancements that are going on right now in Ward 3, with the metro, with the community center, just with updates to the roads and everything. And so when I saw that Jimmy had stepped down from his seat, I thought that it was a great opportunity to take more of a leadership role in the community and do what I can to advocate for our neighbors.
L&T: What would you like to address early on in your council tenure?
Dhokai: I think two of the biggest things that I was hearing from constituents and residents while I was door knocking were concerns around safety and communication. As Hyattsville increases in density, especially in Ward 3, I think there’s been a lot of concerns about how we’re just going to keep everybody safe. Making sure that we are proposing things around the realm of street lights, safe crosswalks, speed bumps. Making sure that people feel safe walking around, daytime, nighttime, no matter what mode of transportation that they’re using — that’s something that’s really important to me.
L&T: How should the city address budgetary concerns?
Dhokai: One thing that I’m really looking forward to in the next four years in terms of us getting a better handle on the budget is actually catching up with the audits, which will allow the city to see if our city debt can be refinanced. Because when a lot of people are looking at the budget, there’s, “How much are we spending?” But then there’s also, “How much do we need to have in reserves for the city to operate, and how much do we have to have to be able to pay that ongoing debt?” If you’re thinking about personal finances, the first rule of thumb is you always reduce your debt.
L&T: What are your thoughts on the city’s purchase of the lower parcel?
Dhokai: I’m a huge supporter of keeping it a green space and having that opportunity to extend the park. Because as we’re having these conversations about all this development, the issues of rainwater runoff and stormwater and just how do we keep the ecosystem of Hyattsville safe — because we are in a flood zone -– how do we balance this idea of developing and making sure that we have enough housing with making sure that we’re not we’re not underwater in a few years?
L&T: Do you see the city taking on a role in building more affordable housing?
Dhokai: I think the city absolutely has to have a role in it, especially to make sure that residents’ needs are being addressed, that concerns are being brought up. I know some of these projects have gotten proposed for affordable housing. How is it going to impact the current neighborhood? How is parking going to become involved into that plan? All of those factors have to be figured out. And I think the city is set up, and we have the resources.
L&T: What are the biggest issues in Hyattsville?
Dhokai: Safety is, to me, the biggest thing. Hyattsville is becoming a spot that more and more people want to move into. We have two metro stops, there’s a mall, there’s the Arts District. There are constantly new restaurants that are coming in. There are these housing developments that are coming in. And just making sure that everybody is able to live their best life, for lack of a better description. I want to make sure that people who are moving into Hyattsville and calling it their home can be able to utilize the space the same way that people have been for the last 20 to 30 years.
Zephan Matteson is an undergraduate journalism major at the University of Maryland.