Dear Neighbors:
Here’s a link to the agenda for the January 13, 2021 City Council meeting: https://takomaparkmd.gov/meeting_agendas/city-council-meeting-agenda-wednesday-january-13-2021/. The agenda includes work session discussions on proposed changes to the Police retirement plan; a financial review including the budget hold list (funds held in reserve for potential use in COVID relief) and options for property tax assistance; City staff pay adjustment proposals; proposed equipment and vehicle purchases; and a possible appointment to the Tree Commission. There will also be a proclamation on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, an update on State legislative policies, and an update on COVID relief efforts. I also anticipate there will be discussion of the recent violence in the U.S. Capitol and related issues. For more on the agenda items see below. Sign up for public comments will be open until 5:00 PM on the day of the meeting -- Link to sign-up for Live Public Comments.
COVID UPDATE
Twice weekly testing at the Takoma Park Recreation Center continues on Saturdays and Wednesdays from 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, with the exception of January 13th (County staff have an all-day training that day on vaccine distribution, so testing is cancelled). Last Saturday, 327 people were tested for a total of 1,607 tested from Dec. 5 through Jan. 2.
The Takoma Park COVID-19 Dashboard is updated as of January 8.
· There were 81 new cases since December 29, for a cumulative total of 1,185 infections in the city since the start of the pandemic.
· The 7-day moving average of cases per 100k residents declined slightly since the last update, but remains higher than both the County and City case numbers in late November.
· December cases ended at 285 - the highest of any month since the start of the pandemic - and there have been 25 cases so far in January.
· There was one new death in the 20912 zip code.
There’s a newly released map from the Atlantic COVID tracking project visualizing hospital capacity issues with COVID-19 (the link zooms in on the Takoma Park/greater DC area). The data includes information on the percent of inpatient and ICU beds occupied by COVID-19 patients and the percentage of beds remaining in nearby hospitals.
You can see more on testing options in Montgomery County here: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/testing.html, and County vaccine planning here: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/vaccine/.
COUNCIL PRIORITIES SETTING PROCESS FOR 2021
Tonight (Tuesday, January 12) at 7:30 PM I’m hosting a Ward One Community discussion on 2021 priorities for City Council action. Here’s the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83296260626?pwd=R2pVckZZcjJrbW5TaVplcUdzeWNvUT09
In January the Council generally meets to map out priorities for the coming year, which we then approve via a resolution and a detailed memo in later Council meetings. As part of that process, there will be a publicly viewable Council retreat this coming Saturday, January 16 from 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM. While that event doesn’t include a public comment period, there are multiple opportunities for residents to weigh in on 2021 priorities.
In addition to tonight’s discussion, residents can also offer comments at the January 13 Council meeting, or at future meetings, including when we report out on the retreat and when we work on the resolution and priorities memo. Also, if anyone wishes to submit written comments specifically for the retreat, feel free to send them to me and I’ll pass them along to my Council colleagues and senior staff.
Here’s a link to the agenda for the retreat: https://takomaparkmd.gov/meeting_agendas/city-council-remote-retreat-saturday-january-16-2021/ and here’s the most recent priorities resolution and background memo: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/resolutions/2019/resolution-2019-14.pdf
OTHER UPDATES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Climate Action Discussion with Takoma Park and Montgomery County -- January 14
Join a discussion with Mayor Kate Stewart, and Adriana Hochberg, Assistant Chief Administrative Officer & Climate Change Coordinator with Montgomery County, and share your ideas about how Takoma Park and Montgomery County can work together to implement the Montgomery County Climate Action Plan and Takoma Park's Climate Emergency Response Framework. This meeting will be moderated by Takoma Park Sustainability Manager Gina Mathias and the Takoma Park Mobilization Environment Committee. Zoom meeting, January 14 at 5:00 PM. Register in advance for this meeting. You can see information on the County’s recently released Draft Climate Action Plan, which includes dozens of possible actions. Residents can review the plan and respond to a survey on it: (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MontgomeryCountyDraftClimateActionPlanSurvey)
Takoma Junction Development. The State Highway Administration has released its Takoma Junction Visioning Study report, which you can see through the following link: https://www.roads.maryland.gov/mdotsha/pages/Index.aspx?PageId=365.
Pedestrian Safety Issues. I’ve joined with residents, City staff and my Council colleagues in seeking pedestrian safety improvements on State highways in Takoma Park, which include in Ward One Philadelphia Avenue, Carroll Avenue, and Piney Branch Road. I’m pleased the State Highway Administration has agreed to make some improvements, most notably reducing the speed limit on Philadelphia Ave. between Piney Branch Rd. and Montgomery College from 30 to 25 mph. The signs marking this change are now in place. There’s more work to do to address other safety issues on Philadelphia, including better signal timing and other improvements at the intersection with Piney Branch.
We’ll be discussing these and other matters when City staff and Councilmembers meet with SHA representatives later this month. I’ll also be emphasizing appropriate enforcement of the new speed limits on Philadelphia. Separate from SHA, we’re working to pass legislation in Annapolis allowing municipalities to reduce speed limits below 25 mph on local roads. I look forward to working with residents and members of the City’s Complete Safe Streets Committee on that and other pedestrian safety issues.
PEPCO Tree Pruning in Ward One Starting this Week. This project had been announced earlier, but we didn’t know the exact dates. The work, which is focused on specific trees identified by Pepco in consultation with City staff, has now begun, with pruning on Tulip Avenue yesterday. Other streets in the plan include Spruce, Willow, Maple, Valley View and Holly. Most of these are expected to involve relatively modest trimming, though there will be major pruning of dead limbs on a white oak on Maple and removal of a completely dead white oak on Holly. Feel free to be in touch with Urban Forest Manager Marty Frye for more details: martyf@takomaparkmd.gov.
Takoma Insider: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?shva=1#search/Takoma++Insider/FMfcgxwKkRDqdFmXmXHWGqBGBmCzXkdL. This week’s Insider includes more COVID data and links, Police Chief DeVaul’s statement on the violence at the U.S. Capitol (which I circulated previously), plus information on new Recreation Department classes, expansion of Library services, the sidewalk poetry contest, and much more.
January City Newsletter (Includes details on MLK Day Activities): https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/news/newsletter/2021/TakomaPark-Newsletter-January2021.pdf. In addition to the usual City information, the Newsletter (on page 12) features volunteer opportunities and events connected to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
COUNCIL MEETING -- PROCLAMATION AND STATE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Proclamation on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/mayoral-proclamations/2021/pr20210113_TreatyPNW-rev.pdf
Legislative Subcommittee Policies: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/legislative-advocacy/2021/Takoma-Park-legislative-subcommittee-criteria-2021.pdf. Along with Mayor Stewart and Councilmember Dyballa, I serve on the City Council’s Legislative Subcommittee, which focuses on Maryland State legislation of interest to Takoma Park. The Council has agreed on a group of State legislative priorities (which doesn’t prevent us from working for passage of State bills on other topics), and we’ll be reviewing this week a set of principles which will help us determine which bills to support.
WORK SESSION
Police Retirement Plan: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2021/council-20210113-1.pdf. We’ll be considering two possible changes to the retirement plan, a lump sum early retirement option and a credit for military service.
Financial Review, Including Budget Hold List and Property Tax Assistance Options: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2021/council-20210113-2.pdf. This will be an important discussion about the current status of the City’s finances, including whether the funds put on hold in this year’s budget for potential use in COVID relief should remain on hold, be tapped for COVID relief, or used for their originally budgeted purposes. We’ll also be looking at property tax assistance options that could help residents who are facing challenges in being able to afford their taxes.
AFSCME Collective Bargaining Agreement: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2021/council-20210113-3-rev.pdf. The Council previously approved a Collective Bargaining Agreement for our non-management police officers who are union members (in the United Food and Commercial Workers Union), which included a 1.5 percent pay increase. We also approved the same increase for a group of 12 non-supervisory, non-union City employees. We’ll now be considering a similar agreement for non-management City staff who are members of AFSCME.
Wage Adjustments for Other Staff: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2021/council-20210113-4-rev.pdf. Another key element of City staff compensation is for more senior personnel who aren’t in either of the two unions, primarily managers and supervisors. There are a total of 31 staffers in this category. The proposal we’ll be reviewing calls for a 1.5 percent pay increase, the same level as in the two union contracts.
Discussion of Proposed Purchases: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2021/council-20210113-5.pdf. The Council will review proposed purchases of several vehicles and other equipment, all of which are included in the City budget for this year.
Tree Commission Appointment: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2021/council-20210113-6.pdf. We’ll discuss whether we should consider appointing a fifth member to the Tree Commission in order to avoid the potential of tie votes.
How to watch: The public may view the Council meeting on City TV (RCN – 13, HD 1060; Comcast/xfinity – 13, HD 997; Verizon Fios – 28), on the City Council Video Page of the City Website; on YouTube, or on Facebook.
You can sign up to receive updates and alerts from the Police Department, the Office of Sustainability, Takoma Park Arts and more: https://takomaparkmd.gov/sign-up/. And you can sign up for WSSC alerts when they are planning local water/sewer work near your home through this link: https://member.everbridge.net/1332612387831877/login
Please feel free to be in touch with me if you have questions or comments concerning 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)
Important Privacy Notice: All correspondence, including emails, to or from City of Takoma Park agencies, officials, and employees is subject to the Maryland Public Information Act and may be disclosed to the public.