Civil Municipal Magazine - Dec 2023

202 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 12 accessible to all, including adding public wi- fi, permeable pavement paths and parking spaces and providing multi-ability inclusive access. “We’re also making improvements so that New Carrollton is more bicycle and walker-friendly,” the mayor adds. “My administration knows that I am extremely interested in the ‘reduce and reuse’ part of the circle of three. I redid the mayor’s office with 95 percent re-purposed items! My goal is to reduce and reuse throughout the city by renovating existing structures when possible, creating more aggressive recycling and composting efforts and working with community partners to use surplus materials from new construction in nearby areas. We’re trying to respond to the requests and needs of our residents, and we’re including them in the process.” Dodro continues that New Carrollton has a great history of being a tight-knit community with loads of community volunteers and popular clubs and programs. That changed quite a bit throughout the 2000’s, but City staffers and the New Carrollton City Council are working hard to bring back that feeling of unity within the local community, as the mayor points out. “I’m really excited to see what we create over the next few years!” she enthuses. Plus, Dodro says that she is also excited that her community has been recognized with a Tree City, USA award for 11 years now. “I love our beautiful landscaping,” she adds. “(“Thanks, Public Works”) We have won numerous county beautification awards. Our city’s residents also have some amazingly beautiful gardens, and quite a few folks are planting yards with less grass, as well as installing rain gardens and planting native flowers. Maybe we should have some landscaping and garden contests!” A renaissance for a beloved community Dodro continues that the area around the New Carrollton Metro Station has seen a huge boom in multi-family housing and retail utilizing the transit-oriented development strategy. “This is bringing a new opportunity for revitalizing our business district,” she says. “The city plans to meet with retail stakeholders to revitalize our two largest shopping centers. We really want to work with the developers and landowners to recruit new businesses and create community uses, providing shoppers with an engaging experience. We have an economic development fund, and we want to invest in the future of development in the city.” Talking of which, Dodro cites the business networks of which New Carrollton makes much positive use. “Our biggest networks are with Prince George’s County,” she notes. “One County entity is Employ Prince George’s (or EPG), an organization that helps residents prepare for 21st-century jobs and helps businesses hire staffers who are ready to work and have the necessary skills. New Carrollton recently began a partnership with Employ Prince George’s to act as a satellite