Mid-December 2024 Updates
Nicole Bryner
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Hello Ward 3! This might be the last newsletter of 2024 if nothing of note happens in the next two weeks (fingers crossed, am I right?). If so, wishing you a joyful end of this year and a gentle entry into 2025!
Hospital Hill Annexation
· Please see my last newsletter for background on the Hospital Hill annexation.
· Since then, there has been plenty of media coverage.
· We continue to be optimistic about the likelihood of the situation resolving in our favor. Leadership at the County and State level as well as the developers have all said they would like this development to be annexed into Cheverly.
· Please click here to read the letter the Prince George’s County Office of Law sent to Mayor James.
· And here is the letter that the development team sent to Mayor James.
· Despite this positive outlook, we still need to have as much support as possible from our residents.
· Bladensburg was meant to hold a public hearing on Monday, December 9, but after receiving letters from our town lawyers and other officials, and subsequent media coverage, it was moved to next week.
· The new date for the public hearing is Thursday, December 19 at 5:30pm at 4229 Edmonston Road, Bladensburg, MD. We encourage residents to join us at the hearing in support of Cheverly’s interests.
o The Town of Cheverly is coordinating shuttle buses to the hearing since parking is limited at Bladensburg Town Hall. Please see more information here.
o It is our understanding that Bladensburg will not permit non-Bladensburg residents to provide input at the meeting, but we believe a physical show of support will be powerful to show how important Hospital Hill is to our community.
o If you can’t join us in person, written testimony can be submitted for the record by emailing the Bladensburg Town Clerk at Cl...@Bladensburgmd.gov.
o Bladensburg does not publicize Zoom links for folks to engage with their meetings virtually, but information about live streaming is at the top of their agenda here.
· I want to emphasize that the Town of Cheverly’s initial response to the news of this attempted annexation was not to threaten legal action. Several attempts were made to engage with Bladensburg town leadership, but we received no responses. While I cannot speak for my fellow elected colleagues, I believe most, if not all, of us would much prefer a congenial and collaborative resolution to this issue.
Poilice Department Promotional and Swearing-In Ceremony
· You can watch the ceremony here.
· Last night, the Town hosted a wonderful ceremony to swear in new officers, promote current officers, and celebrate the exciting milestone of achieving 24/7 policing starting December 28.
· This has been a significant goal for the Mayor and Council since the start of this term, 18 months ago. The first step in this plan was appointing Chief Morris as Interim Chief of Police. At that time, the Department had just four officers.
· Since then, Chief Morris, with the support of Assistant Chief Krauss, has successfully grown the department to full staffing. Last night, we proudly welcomed the 15th and 16th officers to the team.
· I want to express my deepest gratitude to Chief Morris and Assistant Chief Krauss for their dedication to recruiting not only a sufficient number of officers but also the right kind of officers. Their leadership has transformed the department into a desirable workplace while ensuring all policies and processes meet or exceed current standards.
· This achievement has been a true team effort. The Mayor and Council have prioritized providing the financial resources and support necessary to realize this goal, incorporating it into all decision-making. Mr. Galloway and his staff have also played a significant role in supporting this effort. And, of course, we are deeply thankful to our residents, who have consistently supported the department and voiced their expectations for public safety. In particular, I would like to acknowledge Ward 3 resident Rene Brown for his unwavering commitment to the Police Chief’s Advisory Board and ensuring the community has a voice in public safety matters.
· As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns about public safety, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
MEETINGS
December 12 Town Meeting
Agenda can be found here.
You can watch recordings of all town meetings here.
· I had a work commitment and could not attend this meeting, so I watched the recording today. The most significant item to report is that Mayor and Council approved the new designs for Boyd Park. You can see the approved design here.
Odds and Ends
Other ongoing items to keep an eye on:
· Holiday Lights
o The Bryners will be driving around Ward 3 judging lights December 15; if you’d like to be in the running please have your lights up and on by then!
o Winners will be notified around 12/19 and announced around 12/20.
o We all know that Ward 3 is #1 when it comes to holiday decorations, I’m looking forward to seeing this year’s fabulousness!
· Parking Citations
o If you received a parking citation from the Revenue Authority for parking facing the wrong way, please send me the citation number.
Where to find me
Email: CMW...@cheverly-md.gov
Text, WhatsApp, Phone: 301.892.6384
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Upcoming Events
For more information about these and other events, check out the town newsletter/en Español
Holiday Lights Contest Judging
Saturday December 14 and Sunday December 15
After Sunset
Have your lights on then!
Cheverly Community Holiday Market
Saturday December 14
8am-noon
Youth Event: Unconventional Gingerbread Competition
Monday December 23
5pm-7pm
Town Hall Gym
Christmas: Town Offices Closed, No Public Works Services
December 25
New Year’s Day: Town Offices Closed, No Public Works Services
January 1
Cheverly Day
Saturday October 4 2025