Council Connection

At its meeting on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, the Prince George’s County Council met with representatives from the Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPW&T), including Director Michael Johnson, to discuss the department’s recent snow removal efforts beginning on January 6, 2025. Johnson briefed Council Members on the challenges his crews and contractors faced responding to the storm, saying, “Our storm response fell short of the high standards we strive to maintain as a department.”

Council Members expressed gratitude to the workers who helped dig out the county, but also relayed their own concerns, and those of their constituents, regarding the county’s preparation, execution, and communication surrounding the storm. They spent close to two hours questioning leaders about snow removal operations and plans for improvement, while addressing specific issues faced by constituents.

Director Johnson outlined immediate actions that will be taken including: adjusting the deployment strategy for primary and residential roads; collaborating with the Office of Emergency Management, Office of Community Relations, community partners, and elected officials to broaden outreach efforts; and partnering with the Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement (DPIE) to expand snow operations. While the live snowplow tracking system did not work correctly during the storm, DPW&T reports the program has now been fixed.

He explained to Council Members that primary and secondary roads are prioritized in snow cleanup over residential roads but acknowledged that the sheer amount of snow made it difficult to keep the main roads clear before moving onto the neighborhood streets.

In an effort to clear all roads more quickly, Johnson suggested the county move away from a “phased” snow removal approach and into a “concurrent” approach, meaning residential roads are plowed at the same time as main roads. That would require additional plow trucks and staff but would significantly cut down the amount of time until roads are cleared. That suggestion was among the many Johnson laid out in his near and long-term snow removal goals for DPW&T, as he pledged quality control improvements, hiring some additional staff and conducting an in-depth consultant assessment of the agency’s snow program.

“The Department of Public Works and Transportation is committed to learning from this experience and implementing necessary improvements to avoid similar issues in the future,” Johnson said.

The Prince George’s County Council has awarded $500,000 in grant funding for Fiscal Year 2025 to support 10 community organizations addressing domestic violence in the county, with awards ranging between $20,000 and $85,000.

The Council’s Domestic Violence Grant Program, founded in FY 2017, provides funding support to nonprofits offering advocacy and legal help, counseling and mental health services, housing, and workforce development assistance to victims of domestic violence in the county.

For a complete list of the Council’s FY 2025 Domestic Violence Grant Award recipients, click here.

During Tuesday’s Council meeting, Council Member Eric Olson (District 3) presented the second bill of the 2025 Legislative Year, CB-002-2025. The bill would prohibit the parking of boats or other types of watercraft on any public roads throughout the county. The initial penalty would be a $250 fine. After 24-hours, the owner could be fined $500 and the boat could be towed. The proposed legislation was referred to the Committee of the Whole for further consideration.