Prince George's Proud:
An Update From County Executive Alsobrooks
Dear Prince Georgians:
Last week, we hosted a business roundtable for our Caribbean business community where they had the opportunity to hear from various County Government leaders and get answers to their questions. This is the third business roundtable we have hosted to connect with business owners from our immigrant communities. We recognize that roundtables like this are critical because we must ensure that we are communicating effectively with our business owners so that everyone has an equal opportunity to be a part of our County’s progress.
Prince George’s County is poised for growth, and it’s our job as a County Government to make sure this growth happens in a smart, sustainable way. That is why we are focused on affordable housing programs, so that workers can stay connected to their communities instead of getting priced out over time. We are also focused on transit-oriented development, such as our signature Blue Line Corridor project, which will create a walkable, bikeable, amenity-rich downtown. Finally, we continue to invest in quality-of-life services like healthcare, public safety, and education.
With the growth that we are anticipating, we are determined to engage our small and minority-owned businesses, who are the backbone of our local economy. In this year’s budget, we invested $17 million in business assistance programs for local and minority-owned businesses, but we also recognize the importance of doing our part to keep them involved and informed on the many opportunities for growth. We know that sharing these opportunities can allow us to see great results. In fact, from the start of this administration, 78% of the total construction dollars that we have spent in our Office of Central Services have gone to County-based small and minority-owned businesses, totaling over $198 million.
A great example of construction opportunities is our incredibly successful Alternative Construction Finance (ACF) program, which is how we are opening six new schools this school year. The ACF program is also delivering millions of dollars in contracts for local and minority-owned businesses, totaling over $225 million over the life of the project. By involving more small businesses in opportunities for growth like this one, we not only support the local economy, but we also increase competition for procurement opportunities, raising the quality of service that our residents receive and building generational wealth in our community.
We want to thank the members of our Caribbean business community who participated in our roundtable and for their continued support of our communities. We also want to thank our County Government agencies, as well as our Office of Multicultural Affairs, which is instrumental in reaching out to make sure all of our residents, no matter their background, feel connected and at home here in Prince George’s County. We look forward to what the future holds for us all.
Yours in service,
Angela Alsobrooks
Prince George’s County Executive
County Executive Alsobrooks Welcomes Students Back to School
 County Executive Alsobrooks had a great time welcoming students back to school at Lake Arbor Elementary School and Hyattsville Middle School on Monday, August 28. Our children are excited and eager to start this school year, and we were Prince George's Proud to join Superintendent Millard House II and Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) staff in welcoming them back to the classroom. We know that our students will accomplish great things this year.
Annual Women’s Equality Day Luncheon
 County Executive Alsobrooks had a great time attending the Annual Women’s Equality Day Luncheon hosted by Congressman Steny Hoyer on Friday, August 25. She was proud to have the opportunity to connect with so many powerful women from across the region and State, including Shalanda Young, who serves as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget in the Biden Administration.
Minority Construction Industry Day
 On Monday, August 21, County Executive Alsobrooks proudly joined the Office of Central Services at their Minority Construction Industry Day event, which highlighted over $600 million in County Government construction opportunities for our local and minority-owned businesses. Since the start of this administration, 78% of total construction dollars in the Office of Central Services have gone to County-based small and minority-owned businesses. We will continue to find new ways to support our local small businesses and build generational wealth for Prince Georgians.
Bring Your Reusable Bags Today
 Starting January 1, 2024, Prince George's County is moving to a more sustainable future and leaving plastic bags behind! CB-032-2023, passed in July 2023, prohibits retailers and businesses from providing single-use, carryout plastic bags at the point of sale. Additionally, retailers must charge at least a 10-cent fee for each paper and reusable bag sold.
Plastic bags can easily break down into microplastics, littering our streets, local waterways, and environment. They not only cause harm to wildlife, but people too! Microplastic particles are found throughout our water, soil and air, and are virtually impossible to remove. It's estimated that humans are ingesting as much as a credit card’s worth of plastic on a weekly basis.
The ban applies to all retail stores, restaurants, grocery stores, or any other establishment providing single-use plastic bags to customers. Consumers are strongly encouraged to start shopping with their reusable bags now. To help support transitioning away from plastic bag use, the County will provide a limited amount of free reusable bags and will announce distribution dates and locations once finalized. Learn more information on the Department of the Environment website here.
Prince George's Cracks Down on Illegal Dumping
 Prince George’s County is cracking down on illegal dumping. Read more about the taskforce, and learn what residents can do to help on the Part of It, Proud of It website here.
Muslim Business Roundtable
 Calling all Muslim business owners! The Office of the County Executive is hosting a Muslim Business Roundtable on Tuesday, September 5, from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM, at the Days Inn Hotel Al-Madina Restaurant in Lanham. This roundtable will give business owners in the Muslim community an opportunity to discuss their concerns and hear from leadership in our administration. Business owners are encouraged join us for this important discussion.
Office of Ethics and Accountability Releases
FY 2023 Annual Report
The Office of Ethics and Accountability (OEA) recently issued its Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2023 and Calendar Year 2022 (Financial Disclosure and Lobbying) as required by the County Code. The OEA Annual Report highlights continued efforts to provide administrative support to the Board of Ethics (BOE) through the collection of financial disclosure statements from over 1,000 County officials, employees and County board/commission members, the registration and reporting of lobbying activities of 60 entities, and the continuation of regular board meetings and hearings on investigations of alleged violations of the County Code of Ethics and fraud, waste, abuse and illegal acts involving County services and employees. Read the complete OEA Annual Report here.
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Prince George’s County Health Department Launches Back-To-School Vaccine Clinics
 The Prince George's County Health Department is pleased to announce the upcoming back-to-school flu and immunization/vaccine clinics, designed to focus on the health and well-being of students as they return to the classroom for the new school year. The clinics offer routine childhood immunizations to protect against common diseases including influenza (flu) and COVID-19. County residents ages six months and older with limited or no insurance, as well as those with Medicaid, are eligible to receive services. The clinics operate on a sliding scale based on income, ensuring every child can access protective vaccines regardless of their income so that Prince George's County students have the necessary tools for a successful and healthy school year. Learn more information or schedule an appointment on the Health Department website here.
New Hours for the County Health Department's Vital Records Office
 The County Health Department's Vital Records Office has new hours of operation. The Vital Records Office will now be open from 8:00 AM until 12:00 PM for walk-in service and appointments.
Residents looking for a birth certificate (for people born after 1939 in Maryland) or a death certificate (for people who passed away after 2015 in Maryland), the County Health Department's Vital Records Office is the right place! Residents who need papers from before those dates should call the Maryland Department of Health's Vital Statistics Administration at 410-764-3038 for assistance.
Learn more on the County Health Department's Vital Records Office here.
Holiday Waste Collection Schedule Change
 County Government offices, with the exception of public safety agencies, will be closed on Monday, September 4, in observance of the Labor Day holiday. Curbside collection of food scraps and yard trim will be suspended on Monday, September 4, to observe the holiday, and will resume Monday, September 11. Regular trash, bulky, and recycling collection services remain on a regular schedule for residents receiving County-provided services. For more information on waste collection services, visit the Department of the Environment website here.
American Rescue Plan Dollars at Work in Prince George’s County
 On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) into law. Under the Act, $350 billion was provided for eligible state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments to respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency through the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund (CSFRF) and the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (CLFRF).
Prince George’s County was awarded $176.6 million with $32.3 million allocated to support investments in stormwater management and flooding infrastructures. Learn more information about ARPA on the County’s website here.
One ARPA-funded project is the Eagle Harbor Stream Restoration Project at Coleman Creek in the Town of Eagle Harbor. The project will achieve stream stability, habitat enhancement, flood attenuation, and community resiliency through restoration of 1,700 linear feet of the mainstem and 1,400 linear feet of headwater tributaries (direct outfall to the tidal Patuxent River) for a total of 3,100 linear feet. The project will achieve approximately 179 acres impervious surface restoration (ISR) credits under the County's Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit from the Maryland Department of the Environment. The design phase of this project was completed in July 2023. Construction is set to begin soon and be completed in May 2024.
Cats and Critters Available Through Virtual Adoption Process
 While the Animal Services Facility and Adoption Center remains closed to the public for dog adoptions, the Animal Services Division (ASD) is still processing cats, small animals, and reptile adoptions virtually. View a list of adoptable animals on the 24Petconnect website here and click on available cats/other.
Eligible animal redemptions for lost or found pets are approved. Owners must:
- Identify their lost animal in the facility via the 24Petconnect website here and click on lost and found or call customer service at 301-780-7200, option 1 to claim ownership.
- Redemptions will be during normal business hours: Tuesday – Friday, 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM and Saturday, 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM.
If you find a stray animal and can safely check for an ID tag or rabies tag, please do so and try to take them home. ASD encourages residents to take the stray animal to any local veterinarian's office to scan for a microchip. If the animal has a microchip and information populates on the website, attempt to contact the owner directly to avoid exposure to the shelter. For more information, contact the Animal Services Facility and Adoption Center at 301-780-7200.
Rain Check Rebate Contractor Training
 The Department of the Environment is hosting the Rain Check Rebate Contractor Training on Wednesday, October 4, from 8:15 AM to 4:30 PM. This free, all-day training will provide landscape professionals with practical hands-on information on Rain Check Rebate practices and processes. Special emphasis is placed on rain gardens, pavement removal, and permeable pavement.
Landscape professionals will learn how to plan, design, construct and maintain Rain Check Rebate practices. After completing the first day of classroom training, participants are eligible to sign up for the second day in the field. Professionals who successfully complete both sessions will be added to the County's public list of contractors. Register to attend the training here.
Save the Date - 2023 Green Summit
 The Department of the Environment (DoE) will hold its 9th Annual Green Summit on Saturday, October 21, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the David C. Driskell Community Park in Hyattsville. Don’t miss out on food trucks, pet adoptions, green vendors, tips and much more. For more information, visit the DoE website here.
Central Maryland Hate Bias Reporting Forum
 The Office of Human Rights (OHR) is hosting a Hate Bias Reporting Forum on Tuesday, September 19, from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM at Montgomery College’s Germantown Campus. Prince George’s County, along with its neighboring jurisdictions, experience incidents of hate and bias. This forum, a partnership between the Maryland Office of the Attorney General, the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights, the Prince George’s County Office of Human Rights, the Howard County Office of Human Rights and Equity, and the Montgomery County Office of Human Rights, will investigate how reporting incidents of hate and bias allows communities and law enforcement to fully understand the scope of the problem in a community and put resources toward preventing and addressing attacks based on bias and hate. Residents are invited to join OHR as they share methods to facilitate more effective reporting as well as responding to bias incidents and hate crimes.
Local and state representatives from law enforcement, State’s Attorney’s offices, schools, and community groups will share their experiences, best practices, and hope for improvement. The forum is free, but registration is required as space is limited. Register here to secure your spot today!
Youth Leadership Academy
 The Office of Human Rights’ (OHR) Youth Leadership Academy (YLA) is accepting applications for Fall 2023! Now in its third year, the YLA, jointly hosted by the Prince George’s County Office of Human Rights and the Department of Family Services’ Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking Division, supports youth leaders in civic engagement, social justice activism, and strengthening their leadership skills. The Fall 2023 academy will run virtually on Tuesdays from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM for five weeks starting September 26 through October 24. This cohort will take inspiration from changemakers around the United States to find and act upon a local issue of interest to them. Interested youth are encouraged to apply now to secure a place! Learn more and complete the application on the OHR website here.
Language Access Awareness Campaign
 Pictured: a Spanish Language Access ad along the Langley Park corridor
In July 2023, the Office of Human Rights’ (OHR) Language Access Division rolled out their Language Access Campaign, filling the County’s bus shelters with multi-lingual ads educating and encouraging Prince Georgians on their language access rights. The ads are strategically located based on prior research to target the Limited English Proficient (LEP) and Non-English Proficient (NEP) communities in particular zip codes to inform the target audience about their rights to receive government services in their preferred language.
Translated in the County’s top six non-English languages, Spanish, French, Tagalog, Yoruba, Amharic, and Mandarin, this campaign aims to provide vital information about the County’s commitment to serve these individuals in their native language.
The ads come as the Language Access Compliance Program enters its third stage of development, known as enforcement. The Language Access Compliance Program has been working with all County Government agencies to ensure they have the proper tools and training to assist community members with limited English proficiency. Residents who are having trouble accessing government services in your preferred language, call OHR at 301-883-6170.
The Prince George’s Film Festival Announces Lamman Rucker and Lynn Whitfield
 Get ready for a cinematic celebration like no other! The Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council (PGAHC) is thrilled to announce that two incredible Hollywood talents, Lamman Rucker and Lynn Whitfield, will grace the stage at the Prince George’s Film Festival. Prepare to be captivated by their presence as they bring their star power and artistic brilliance to our festival.
Join PGAHC at the Prince George’s Film Festival from Thursday, September 28 through Sunday, October 1, as they celebrate the art of storytelling and the magic of cinema with these extraordinary talents. Stay tuned for updates, film screenings, and exclusive insights that will make the Prince George’s Film Festival an event to remember. For more information, visit the Prince George’s Film Festival website here.
Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center Supplier Diversity Event
 Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center is currently undergoing a campuswide renovation and expansion project. Local, small, and minority-owned businesses are encouraged to attend a virtual supplier diversity outreach event on Thursday, September 7, at 10:00 AM. Register to attend here.
Start the New School Year with Success with Prince George’s County Library Resources
 The Prince George’s County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS) is here to serve students of all ages with resources to support their learning journey as the school year begins and all year long. PGCMLS provides the tools they need to be a learner for life, with materials for babies, children, teens, and adults to help with day-to-day assignments and beyond, including borrowable Chromebooks, WiFi hotspots, and Playaway tablets, as well as small study rooms inside select branches, free, live virtual tutoring in English and Spanish, databases for research assignments, and more. Learn more and start exploring available resources on the PGCMLS Totally Rule at School website here.
Washington Commanders and Department of Parks and Recreation Unite for Youth
 Calling all young football fans! The Department of Parks and Recreation is collaborating with the Washington Commanders to bring flag football to local youth. The program was recently launched with a clinic at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex in Landover. It will continue with a flag football league from Sunday, October 1 to Sunday, November 12, for grades pre-K through 8th. Registration is now open on the Washington Commanders website here.
Maximizing Your Business Plan's Potential with LivePlan
 FSC First is hosting the series "Maximizing Your Business Plan's Potential with LivePlan.” Join them virtually on Tuesday, September 12, at 11:00 AM. During this business planning workshop, which will be led by Tisa J.D. Clark, participants will gain insight on how to use LivePlan to create an effective business plan. Register to attend here.
M&T Bank & FSC First Qualtrics Experience Management Survey
 FSC First and M&T Bank are partnering to offer a range of support services and resources for businesses in Prince George’s County. Businesses interested in learning more about the services and resources being offered should complete the Qualtrics survey available here.
Commission for Individuals with Disabilities Listening Sessions
 The Prince George’s County Commission for Individuals with Disabilities is hosting a series of listening sessions to hear from residents regarding the accessibility of services for persons having disabilities. The purpose of the listening sessions is to record and assess the needs for the disability community. The information will be presented to government officials and others for collaborative solutions. The Commission will conduct the first of several listening sessions on Thursday, September 7, at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex in Landover. Residents are encouraged to stay tuned for information on future listening sessions. Learn more information and register to attend here.
DPW&T Deputy Director Named Mass Transit Magazine 2023 Class of 40 Under 40 Honoree
Congratulations to Prince George’s County’s very own Oluseyi Olugbenle, who serves as Deputy Director for the Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPW&T), on being named a 2023 Class of 40 Under 40 honoree by Mass Transit magazine, the North American public transportation industry’s premier news source. More than 170 nominations were assessed for this round of awards and nominees were rated on four criteria, including job commitment, industry involvement and contribution, achievement in their position, and innovation in their field. Deputy Director Olugbenle works tirelessly to ensure equitable access to transit and safer roadways for our residents, and we are Prince George’s Proud to congratulate her on this amazing accomplishment. Read more about Deputy Director Olugbenle and her work with DPW&T here.
Alternative Construction Finance Program on Track to Open Six New Schools this School Year
 Photo Courtesy of Sarah L. Voison and the Washington Post
Prince George’s County Public Schools recently welcomed students back to the classroom for the 2023-2024 school year. The start of this school year included the opening of five new schools, with another set to open later this year, through the innovative Alternative Construction Finance (ACF) program. Check out this article to learn more about the ACF program and how it benefits the County.
Prince George’s County Non-Profit Supports
At-Risk Youth
 Photo Courtesy of the Washington Post
We are Prince George’s Proud of Jacob's Ladder Youth Foundation, Inc., and the work they do to support at-risk youth in our communities. Jacob’s Ladder is one of the non-profit organizations that make up the Hope Collective, which supports the Hope in Action Anti-Violence program by providing wraparound services for at-risk youth and young adults. Check out this article to learn more about their efforts to support our young people.
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