Dear Neighbors:
Here’s a link to the agenda for the September 30, 2020 City Council Meeting: https://takomaparkmd.gov/meeting_agendas/city-council-meeting-agenda-september-30-2020/.
The meeting will begin with a presentation on racial equity best practices, and then later in the meeting we’ll have a work session discussion on that topic. The work session will also include a budget amendment; a proposal for use of a portion of the Dorothy’s Woods property; a discussion on the timetable or possible freeze for appointments to resident committees; a proposed resident committee Code of Conduct; and principles for Council compensation; plus an update on our fall elections. For more information on these issues see below. In order to speak during the public comment period, sign up by 5:00 PM on the day of the meeting: Link to sign-up for Live Public Comments.
Following this week’s Council meeting, there will be three more meetings before Election Day on November 3. We’re not currently scheduled to meet on October 28. Please see below in the election update section for important information on voting in this year’s elections.
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPDATES
City COVID Dashboard Update: Takoma Park COVID-19 Data Dashboard. The Dashboard was updated this past Friday. Key City data as of that date include the following:
· No new deaths reported.
· 9 new cases reported, for a cumulative total of 651 cases.
· Updated infection rate of 3.7% compared to the County rate of 2.1%
There’s information on COVID testing this week sponsored by Montgomery County here: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/testing.html
Virtual Ward One Community Discussion -- Tuesday, June 29, 7:00 - 8:30 PM. This is another in the series of virtual discussions I’ve been hosting during the pandemic. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwsfuqqqDgvHNWiDVkhAnCKdHQY-_wbmCCz. Any topics are welcome.
I understand there’s an important national debate starting at 9:00 PM the same night…so if you want to take your mind off that one for a while, the community discussion may fit the bill. In addition, while I don’t generally get into local politics on this blog, I’ll also mention that at Noon on Tuesday I’m holding a virtual brown bag lunch for my reelection campaign: https://www.peterkovarforcitycouncil.com/brown_bag_lunch_2
Task Force on Reimagining Public Safety. Last week the Council approved a resolution establishing this task force after agreeing to several important changes. I voted yes. I proposed two key amendments which were adopted. One amendment added a specific reference to Black Lives Matter and similar groups to the list of potential participants on the Task Force. I proposed this amendment after compelling public comments from a Ward One resident recommending a change along those lines. The second amendment clarifies that the Task Force can remain in existence to continue advising the Council after completion of their final report. I look forward to the Task Force’s contributions. Here’s a link to the final version of the task force resolution: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/resolutions/2020/resolution-2020-21.pdf
Habitat for Humanity Contract. https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2020/council-20200923-3.pdf. In last week’s Council meeting, I voted in favor of this contract, and I’m glad the Council approved it. Under the contract the City will contribute funding toward Habitat’s work to make available for purchase at affordable rates two housing units which would otherwise be renovated and sold at a high price by a developer. This move will be a modest step against gentrification, and I’m hopeful it’s also a harbinger of further collaborations of this type with Habitat or other outside partners. As I’ve mentioned a number of times, as a small City we’ll need to work with non-profits, foundations or for-profit financial institutions in order to make significant progress toward creation of more affordable units, particularly “missing middle” home ownership opportunities, which fall between expensive single family houses and rent stabilized apartments.
City Manager Comments from September 23 Council meeting: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-manager/city-manager-comments/2020/City%20Manager%20Comments%20_%20%2009.23.2020.pdf. City Manager Suzanne Ludlow’s official comments include updates on planning for Halloween (I’d like to hear from residents on this topic); changes in the leaf collection process because of COVID; information on the Shared City Streets program (a new more streamlined system for requesting temporary street closures); and an update on parking permit renewals.
Please note that on that last point there have been some key changes since the City Manager’s comments. After several of us raised questions during the Council meeting about the permit renewal process, the renewal deadline was extended to November 1 (see the message below from the Police Department about the extension, which I circulated to Ward One lists a few days ago). The Police will be in touch with residents whose tickets may need to be voided as a result of this change in policy. Here’s the earlier message from the Police:
“Because of COVID-19, renewing your residential AND business parking permits will be further extended to November 1, 2020. Please continue to display expired permits. Citations will not be issued to displayed expired permits through November 1, 2020. You may renew in person at the station during limited times, so please call 301-270-1100 prior to going to the station. You may also still renew by US mail, and you can find that information by clicking the link below. BUSINESS parking permits may also be renewed by US mail during this timeframe.
“NOTE: Because the City building is still not fully open, if you plan to renew in person in the police department lobby, please bring a check, exact cash, or a cell phone so you are able to call in a credit card payment.
“If you have any questions, please feel free to contact parking enforcement at 301-891-7112.
“You can find more information about renewing residential and business parking permits at https://takomaparkmd.gov/government/police/permit-area-parking/.”
PRESENTATION
Racial Equity Best Practices Presentation: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2020/council-20200930-1-3.pdf. Our Racial Equity discussions will be in two parts. First there will be a staff presentation on best practices that have been adopted by other communities. Then in our work session we’ll have a discussion in which the ideas brought forward in the presentation, and perhaps others, will be reviewed with an eye toward considering approaches the City may wish to follow.
We’re making some significant strides on racial equity through such actions as establishing the public safety task force discussed above, targeting future tree planting efforts toward parts of the City with fewer trees, working on developing new approaches to traffic calming which may make it easier for residents less familiar with City government to improve pedestrian safety in their neighborhoods, and conducting outreach around the future renovation of the New Hampshire Avenue recreation center in ways that are more focused on speakers of languages other than English. But I think it’s important to knit together these and other racial equity efforts to help ensure we keep the concept appropriately embedded within all of our municipal work. This discussion will help move us in that direction, and I encourage residents to let us know your thoughts on this topic, through public comments, or you can be in touch with me directly.
WORK SESSION
Racial Equity: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2020/council-20200930-1-3.pdf. Please see the write-up in the Presentation section above for details.
Budget Amendment: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2020/council-20200930-4.pdf. The budget is adjusted periodically to reflect spending and funding changes that occur during the course of fiscal years. This type of change occurs primarily because 1) the timetable for specific projects is altered, which necessitates transferring monies from one fiscal year budget to the next; 2) the City receives new funds from an outside entity or another level of government; 3) anticipated funding from another level of government is reduced; or 4) an approved project ends up costing more than expected. We’ll be discussing a package of such changes, with a vote likely to take place in the coming weeks.
Dorothy’s Woods: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2020/council-20200930-5.pdf. After the initial purchase of Dorothy’s Woods, when the City was still working on removing the outstanding liens on the property, we adopted a covenant which restricts development on the property with the goal of preserving it as an natural wooded area. A group of residents has proposed using a non-wooded portion of the lot, which includes a degraded former basketball court, as the site for a sustainable urban habitat. The proposal calls for utilizing native plants to demonstrate and educate residents on effective plant selection and management in the Takoma Park environment, which could also provide a model for other greenspace sites in the City.
It’s a thoughtful proposal that merits serious review. Whether we decide to go forward with it ought to, in my view, be connected to completion of our Open Space Plan, which has not yet been approved by the Council. That said, I agree that it makes sense to have the City Attorney review the covenant in order to determine whether the kind of use put forward in this proposal -- or other similar ideas -- would be legally permissible.
The background material on the following three agenda items wasn’t complete at the time I prepared this blog. I’ll circulate the information when it becomes available.
Resident Committee Appointments: A potential freeze on appointments to resident committees is connected in some ways with the Code of Conduct. In particular, if details of the Code still need to be worked out, that may be an argument for holding off on additional appointments. On the other hand if there are committees that lack a quorum and thus can’t take official action, or if we want to take more immediate steps to address the lack of diversity in committee membership, then it may make sense to move forward with at least some appointments.
Code of Conduct for Resident Committees. For background purposes, here’s a link to the information on this agenda item from the September 16 Council meeting: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2020/council-20201609-3.pdf. Both the Code and the resolution will be changed from the versions accessible through that link before we vote on them. Among the issues I’m exploring is whether independent review of Code violations can be incorporated into the reporting system
Council Compensation.
Election Update. Given the challenges around organizing a local election conducted primarily by mail-in or drop-off ballots due to the pandemic, all of our remaining Council meetings are expected to include updates on the election.
Residents should keep in mind that there are two separate ballots this year, one just for our local Mayoral and City Council election and another for President, U.S. House of Representatives, Montgomery County Board of Education, County Judges, and referenda. Takoma Park registered voters will receive local ballots in the mail, and you can either mail them back or drop them off at the drop boxes at the Community Center or the New Hampshire Avenue Recreation Center. On Election Day (November 3) there will be limited in-person drive-through voting at the Community Center for Takoma Park local elections only. This option is really for people who don’t receive a ballot in the mail. Dropped off local ballots must be received by Election Day. Mailed in ballots must be postmarked by Election Day, but can be physically received up to 5 days later.
For the State ballot, you can vote in person on Election Day at voting centers. The nearest one will be at the Silver Spring Civic Center (our local election precincts will NOT be open). The other option is to request a ballot from the state: https://voterservices.elections.maryland.gov/OnlineMailinRequest/InstructionsStep1
If you request a State ballot I recommend having it mailed to you. If you have it sent to you electronically, after you return it election personnel will have to hand-copy it onto a scannable ballot, which will take about 5 minutes per ballot. The more people who do that, the longer it will take to get a final count. There will be a State ballot drop box at the Community Center.
Please remember: there are two ballots this year!
As always, please feel free to be in touch with questions or comments on any of the topics covered in this blog.
Peter Kovar, Takoma Park City Council, Ward One
240-319-6281; www.councilmemberkovar.com
(He, Him, His)
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