College Park City Council — April 6, 2026 | Council Watch

College Park City Council · April 6, 2026

18 findings

Financial Scandal · 2:16:25

Angel Reese Joins College Park Sports Empire

“WNBA superstar, Angel Reese, is coming to College Park. We play for the dream of our Gateway Arena.”
— Councilman Roderick Gay

WNBA superstar 'Bayou Barbie' Angel Reese signs with College Park's Gateway Arena team

Meeting Briefing

The April 6 council meeting made national sports headlines when Councilman Gay announced WNBA superstar Angel Reese — known as 'Bayou Barbie' — is joining College Park's professional team at Gateway Arena. But beneath the celebrity glitz, council quietly rubber-stamped $773,000 in contracts with minimal discussion, including a $348K sewer replacement and $125K water main repair. Meanwhile, residents lined up to praise new City Manager Michael Hicks while warning about expired landscaping contracts and procurement violations. The meeting showcased College Park's strange duality: world-class sports franchises and amateur-hour governance.

All Findings

Financial Scandal

$773K In Contracts Approved Without Debate

“Is there a motion? Motion. Thank you, Council Member Hardy. Is there a second? Second. Any discussion? Hearing none, we'll move to a vote. All those in favor? Aye. That is...”

Council rubber-stamps three-quarters of a million in infrastructure spending in under six minutes

1:31:36

Financial Scandal

City Attorney Blocks $200K Landscaping Piggyback

“we discovered that the commentary in Rockville County expired last year. And we can't piggyback on the expired commentary this year.”

Denmark says city can't piggyback on expired Rockdale County contract, motion dies for lack of support

1:44:11

Power Plays & Dysfunction

Michael Hicks Officially Named Permanent City Manager

“I want to congratulate Mr. Higgs for being our City Manager, being selected by unanimous vote of this Council on Saturday.”

Council unanimously selected Hicks at special Saturday meeting Mayor couldn't attend from Paris

2:01:16

Power Plays & Dysfunction

Steering Committee Ward Restriction Sparks Heated Debate

“I think it's unfair to the rest of the city, and therefore I'd like to make a motion that we adhere to the policy to select only persons for the four council members, and that...”

McKenzie forces vote to limit comprehensive plan committee appointments to ward residents only

28:52

Power Plays & Dysfunction

College Park Launches First-in-Nation Partake Sharing App

“College Park is the first city in the country to launch it. It is in Canada. There's about 60,000 people in Montreal in that area who are participating in Partake”

Mayor announces College Park is first U.S. city to launch neighbor-to-neighbor sharing platform

1:53:47

Financial Scandal

Resident Accuses McKenzie of White Supremacist Smear

“I would appreciate it if Councilwoman Jamelle McKenzie would quit telling people that I am a white supremacist. Yes, I know you said that.”

Elizabeth Lester demands McKenzie stop calling her a white supremacist in public

1:12:32

Power Plays & Dysfunction

Embarcadero Playground Paid By City On Private Property

“The city paid for a playground on the private property, and the private property is paid. So, I would suggest the city take a look at whether or not that was a violation of the...”

Lester says city violated gratuities clause by paying for private property playground

1:11:30

Power Plays & Dysfunction

Fire Department RightSite Telemedicine Program Launches

“what RightSite does is it allows people who do not have emergencies that need to take them to the emergency department to have a face-time real call with a medical provider”

Mayor announces free video calls with medical providers to reduce emergency room visits

1:56:53

Power Plays & Dysfunction

Main Street Lane Reduction Study Approved Unanimously

“I wanna reiterate again that this is not about the traffic study. This is about putting it into the hands of GEOC to consider, to move forward with whatever the process is”

Council green-lights GDOT study to reduce Main Street from four lanes to three for safety

1:37:55

Financial Scandal

Resident Warns About Broken Bus Shelter Glass

“there's broken glass out there. As of this evening, about a third of it is broken glass out there. So we want to make sure they get in first thing in the morning.”

Gay reports dangerous broken glass at Sullivan Road bus shelter as safety hazard

2:13:13

Power Plays & Dysfunction

College Park Celebrates 130th Anniversary Recognition

“Whereas land encompassed the City of College Park was originally an ancestral home of the Muscogee Creek Nation, whose deep connection to the terrain established a legacy of...”

State Representative presents House Resolution honoring city's 1891 incorporation

45:30

Power Plays & Dysfunction

Tracy Arnold Mural Celebrates Women Leaders

“There's nothing like representation. And I'll say that again. There's nothing like representation in our community.”

350-foot mural at airport intersection showcases College Park women, draws praise for representation

2:24:04

Power Plays & Dysfunction

Resident Launches Citywide Neighborhood Watch Program

“This is a citywide initiative built on a single idea and that's just neighbors looking out for each other.”

Louis Oken announces ice cream social to launch neighborhood watch with police department backing

1:00:27

Financial Scandal

Resident Calls Out Council Dysfunction Pattern

“I read in the last council, Councilman Johnson, he has said, he felt threatened, and Joe had threatened him, and that's all right by him.”

Long-time resident demands leaders stop fighting and support city manager after years of chaos

1:03:47

Power Plays & Dysfunction

Youth Council President Thanks City For $106K DC Trip

“I'd like to first thank you all, as the president of the Youth Civic Advisory Board, for giving us $20,000 each, so a total of $100,000, and an improvement of $6,000”

Eugene Turner reports successful Washington DC trip funded by council, asks for continued youth investment

1:13:42

Power Plays & Dysfunction

College Park Historical Society Plans Eva Thomas Recognition

“They were Eva Thomas' high school here in College Park in 1969, and the students were, they protested, and the school was closed subsequently after that in 1970.”

1969 state basketball champions from closed Black high school to finally receive recognition

1:18:41

Power Plays & Dysfunction

City Manager Announces Infrastructure Upgrades

“we're trying to replace a lot of slides in Michigan, a lot of cities. I showed you a group that we had, we saw some of these older slides that had been taken up”

Hicks reports playground replacements, security improvements, and police job fair planning

1:48:47