The Mayor and Council shall have the power to employ such officers and employees as it deems necessary to execute the powers and duties provided by this Charter or other authority and to operate the City government.
The Mayor and Council shall provide by ordinance or resolution for appointment and promotions in the administrative service on the basis of merit fitness. To carry out this purpose, the Mayor and Council shall have the power to adopt such rules and regulations governing the operation of a merit or personnel system as it deems desirable or necessary. Among other things, these rules and regulations may provide for a classification plan, a compensation plan, a probation period, appeals by employees included within the classified service from dismissal or other disciplinary action and vacation and sick leave regulations.
A. 
The Mayor and Council shall have the power to establish and maintain a police force or to engage the services of state or county contract police or to request the Prince George's County Police to perform police duties within the City. When so engaged, such police officers shall have the same police powers and authority within the City as are now possessed by members of the Prince George's County Police outside the corporate limits, including the power to enforce the City's own Code and ordinances within the City's corporate limits. Said police officers shall have the authority and power to transport persons arrested to a committing official and thence to the nearest place of commitment, as directed by said committing official.
B. 
The Mayor and Council may appoint and fix the compensation of one or more police officers as it may deem necessary to carry out the provisions of this Charter. Such officers shall preserve the peace, enforce all ordinances, serve all notices and processes and perform such other lawful duties as the Mayor and Council shall direct, and, for these purposes, said officers are hereby vested with the same powers as are now possessed by the members of the Prince George's County force within the boundaries of the City of College Park, and, in addition thereto, they shall have the authority to transport persons arrested to the nearest committing official in and for Prince George's County and thence to the nearest place of commitment, as directed by said official.
A. 
The Mayor and Council of the City of College Park shall have the power to borrow money for any proper public purpose and to evidence such borrowing by the issue and sale of its general obligation bonds in the manner prescribed by § 19-301 et seq., of the Local Government Article, Annotated Code of Maryland, as may be amended from time to time, subject to § C4-9 of the City Charter, except that any such general obligation bonds may be sold by private (negotiated) sale without solicitation of competitive bids if the ordinance or resolution authorizing such borrowing so provides. In connection with any sale of general obligation bonds by the solicitation of competitive bids at public sale, any such competitive bids may be delivered by electronic and/or facsimile means and/or by any other then-commercially-reasonable manner for the sale of municipal obligations at competitive bid; and any notice of sale may be published solely in summary form in a newspaper of general circulation in the City and/or in a generally recognized financial journal, or any notice of sale may be disseminated solely in electronic form and/or by any other then-commercially-reasonable manner for the sale of municipal obligations, as determined by the Mayor and Council by ordinance or resolution. As determined or provided for by the authorizing ordinance or resolution, general obligation bonds of the City may be sold for a price or prices that may be at, above or below the par value of such bonds and for cash or other valuable consideration, and may bear interest at a rate or rates of interest that may be fixed or variable or as may be determined by a method approved or provided for by the Mayor and Council.
B. 
In addition, and without limitation by the Annotated Code of Maryland (as amended), § 19-301 et seq., of the Local Government Article, or any other provision of general law of the General Laws of Maryland and the authority otherwise established in this § C7-4, the City may borrow, for any public purpose, by resolution or ordinance, and may issue and deliver its notes or other evidences of indebtedness (including renewal or refinancing of notes or bond anticipation notes) to mature not more than 30 years from the date of issue. For the payment of said indebtedness, the City may designate such source or sources of funds, including tax and other revenues as it deems appropriate, to the purpose or purposes for which the borrowing is made. The notes or other evidences of indebtedness may be sold upon such terms and conditions at public or private sale and shall be executed and delivered in such manner as the authorizing resolution shall provide.
C. 
The aggregate amount of sums borrowed pursuant to Subsections A and B shall not exceed 5% of the assessed valuation of all real property subject to municipal taxation in the City, according to the assessments certified by the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation on the preceding July 1.
D. 
In addition, the Mayor and Council shall likewise have authority to borrow money in anticipation of the receipt of current taxes and to evidence such borrowing by the issuance of and sale of tax anticipation notes, payable as to principal and interest from said taxes when received. The procedure for the issuance of tax anticipation notes shall be as prescribed in § 19-301 et seq., of the Local Government Article, Annotated Code of Maryland, as may be amended from time to time; provided, however, that such notes may be sold by private negotiation and no tax anticipation notes shall be issued which shall mature later than 18 months from their respective dates of issue.
E. 
The total of all City indebtedness and unfunded obligations at any one time shall not exceed 10% of the assessed valuation of all real property subject to municipal taxation in the City of College Park, according to the assessments which may be current at the time.
F. 
In accordance with § 19-301 et seq., of the Local Government Article, Annotated Code of Maryland, the Mayor and Council shall likewise have the authority to provide for the issuance of bonds payable as to principal and interest solely from the revenues of one or more revenue-producing projects, which bonds shall not constitute an indebtedness of the City to which its full faith and credit or taxing power are pledged, and nothing contained in this subsection shall be construed as the incurring of debt against the limitations of Subsection C or E above.
G. 
Nothing herein shall be construed as preventing the City from entering into contracts or engaging in equipment lease or other types of financing arrangements, provided that such contracts or arrangement do not exceed the limitations of Subsection E above.
In addition to and not in limitation of the powers of the Mayor and Council enumerated elsewhere in this Charter, the Mayor and Council shall have the power to grant and regulate franchises which may be deemed advantageous and beneficial to the City, and to receive compensation for such grant, subject to the limitations and provisions of § 1-708 and § 5-204 of the Local Government Article, Annotated Code of Maryland and applicable state law. No franchise shall be granted for a longer period than 50 years.
The City may condemn property of any kind, or interest therein or franchise connected therewith, in fee or as an easement, within the corporate limits of the City of College Park for any public purpose. Any activity, project or improvement authorized by the provisions of this Charter or any other state law applicable to the City of College Park is a public purpose.
The Mayor and Council may pass such ordinances as it may deem necessary for the preservation of the health of residents of the City and to remove all nuisances from and prohibit all business within the corporate limits thereof as shall, in its opinion, affect the sanitary conditions thereof.
The Mayor and Council shall have the power, in its discretion, to enact a Building Code to be applicable to all real property improvements or structures erected within the City.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 87, Building Construction.
[Amended 4-24-2018 by Res. No. 18-CR-02]
The Mayor and Council shall have the power to pass such ordinances as may be necessary to provide for the establishment and maintenance of a refuse collection and disposal service. These ordinances shall set forth the rules and regulations that will be applicable to all property from which refuse is collected.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 119, Refuse, Solid Waste, Yard Trash and Special Trash; and Ch. 161, Recycling.
In addition to and not in limitation of the powers of the Mayor and Council and of the City of College Park enumerated elsewhere in this Charter, the City of College Park shall have the power to own or finance any interest in real or personal property outside the corporate limits of the City upon an express determination by the Mayor and Council that such acquisition or financing is reasonably necessary to implement a lawful purpose, program, objective or function of the City of College Park.