Dear Neighbors:
Here’s a link to the agenda for the April 7, 2021 City Council meeting: https://takomaparkmd.gov/meeting_agendas/city-council-meeting-agenda-wednesday-april-7-2021/. With the Council not meeting last week, I didn’t post a blog, so there’s a lot to cover.
Please note first off that this week’s meeting will start at 6:00 PM, with a presentation of the City Manager’s recommended budget. In the regular meeting -- which begins at 7:30 PM -- there’s one scheduled vote: on the budget amendment we took an initial vote on during our March 24 meeting. In our work session, we’ll have a further discussion on reform of Council-appointed committees, plus updates on the City Manager search process and on the Reimagining Public Safety Task Force. The meeting will also include a proclamation on Arbor Day and presentation of the final report on the New Hampshire Avenue Recreation Center community engagement initiative. For more information on this week’s agenda items see below.
To speak during the public comment period, sign up by 5:00 PM on the day of the meeting: link to sign up for public comments.
The meeting can be viewed 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.
KEY UPCOMING COUNCIL SCHEDULE INFORMATION
Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Process. This week’s Council meeting marks the formal kick-off of the municipal budget process, which includes setting City spending allocations, determining staffing levels, and establishing the property tax rate for the budget year that begins on July 1. We typically focus on the budget throughout the month of April (including several Monday evening meetings devoted exclusively to the budget) and into May, with the final votes usually taking place in the middle of that month. This process includes -- among other opportunities for residents to offer their views -- public hearings on the budget and the property tax. The schedule tentatively calls for public hearings on the budget on April 14 and 28, and on the tax rate on April 28, with final votes on May 19. Public comments are of course welcome in any of our regular Council meetings. Monday budget work sessions (which don’t include public comments) will be on April 19 and 26, and May 3. I’m also planning to convene virtual budget discussions for Ward One residents. I’ll provide more details on these events in the coming days.
Takoma Junction Development. With Junction developer NDC having submitted an updated site plan and related documents to the County Planning Office, and with most of the regulatory agencies having provided comments about the plan, we’re moving toward a City Council review of the development, with a final vote currently scheduled for May 5. Links to relevant planning documents and an outline of the process are contained in this blog posted last week: https://takomaparkmd.gov/news-alert/takoma-junction-redevelopment-project-meetings-set-to-being-monday-april-12/. The key City Council dates are as follows:
Monday, April 12: An overview of the Junction project plans will be presented in a special Council session, followed by small group discussions on key elements.
Wednesday, April 14: The Council will have a work session discussion of the plans.
Wednesday, April 28: There will be a formal Public Hearing on the project as part of the City Council meeting, followed by a Council work session.
Wednesday, May 5: The City Council will vote on a resolution on the project site plan; the resolution of the City Council’s position will then be transmitted to the Montgomery County Planning Board for consideration as part of the Board’s vote on the site plan.
In addition, I’ll be scheduling opportunities for Ward One residents to let me know their views. Note also that the key still outstanding part of the review process is the State Highway Administration’s comments on the proposed lay-by for deliveries, which is obviously a crucial piece of feedback on the project. We’re anticipating having that information from SHA prior to the April 12 meeting.
COVID UPDATE
You can see the City’s COVID-19 Data Dashboard, now updated as of April 2, through this link. Key data points identified by City staff:
· 1,030 Takoma Park residents received first doses of a vaccine in the last week and 788 new residents became fully vaccinated, bringing the City's first dose vaccination total to 6,030 (34.1% of residents) and its fully vaccinated total to 2,908 (16.5% of residents).
· There were 14 new cases in the last week, bringing the City's total to 1602 for a prevalence rate of 9.1%. March finished with 80 new cases, a slight decrease from February and a substantial decrease from January.
· There were no new deaths reported in the 20912 zip code in the last week.
Testing at the New Hampshire Avenue Recreation Center continues every Saturday, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM. For other Montgomery County testing locations, visit this link.
The State of Maryland’s larger “mass” sites are now open for registration for anyone age 16 and over, and other State sites (pharmacies, doctor offices, etc.) will have the same eligibility starting on April 12. You can pre-register for an appointment at a mass vaccination site by visiting covidvax.maryland.gov or calling 1-855-MD-GOVAX (1-855-634-6829).
The ability to register doesn’t mean appointments will immediately be available -- that will depend on vaccine supplies, and higher risk populations will continue to have priority for appointments. But as supplies ramp up, it’s advisable to pre-register if you haven’t already. This article from the Washington Post has more details, including locations of new State vaccine facilities: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-to-relax-restrictions-may-1-while-most-of-nova-expands-vaccine-eligibility/2021/04/05/3f760170-9619-11eb-962b-78c1d8228819_story.html
You can also pre-register for County vaccinations through their vaccine page: https://montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/vaccine/. Or you can call 240-777-2982.
UPDATE FROM PREVIOUS COUNCIL MEETING (MARCH 24)
New Stormwater Fee Structure. https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2021/council-20210324-2.pdf. On a 6 - 1 vote, the Council gave final approval to a new stormwater fee structure for single family properties. It’s a tiered system based on a calculation of the impervious surface on each property, which is a major determinant of the extent to which properties contribute to the flow of untreated stormwater. I voted yes. Under the new system, property owners will receive a letter probably early this summer listing their fee. They will be able to appeal the fee and/or apply for a credit based on stormwater management systems they’ve installed. You can use this map to see the projected fee for your property: https://tkpk.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=e15e3b63ac004c848339d55e328e8cc2&extent=-77.0410,38.9665,-76.9586,38.9988.)
As I’ve pointed out previously, I agree a tiered approach is more fair than the current flat rate of $92 for all single family properties. However, as I’ve also noted, I was not supportive of the new fee structure unless we also began to take steps to address the costly stormwater problems connected to climate change. With the passage of a resolution last month calling for action in this year’s budget to start working on those challenges, we took a significant first step. Here’s a link to the resolution: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/resolutions/2021/resolution-2021-9.pdf. I’m optimistic we’ll be able to set aside some funds in this year’s budget, or possibly through the recently enacted federal pandemic relief legislation, to help us move forward on addressing that set of issues.
Despite the passage of the resolution, I had serious concerns about the fee structure, especially given that it will increase payments for a majority of single family property owners. As a result, working with several of my Council colleagues, I proposed some changes to the ordinance during our March 17 meeting to make it clear City stormwater funds can be used for analysis of stormwater run-off on private property; to require establishment of a process for lower income residents to apply for fee reductions; and to remove the requirement that any challenge to the impervious calculation had to include a costly certification from an engineer or surveyor. I’m pleased that versions of these proposals were adopted by the Council as part of the revised ordinance, along with a $275 cap on fees in the first year. Even with those changes, I felt there were still some problematic issues relating to the appeal and credit process, and I’m glad we were able in our March 24 meeting to make further important changes clarifying the credit and appeal process. With all of these amendments, it was my sense that on balance the new system was improved enough to merit support, and again I voted in favor of it. But I’ll be monitoring its implementation carefully in case further adjustments are needed.
For those seeking more background on the City’s stormwater program and how the new fee structure will operate, this Frequently Asked Questions webpage may be of interest: https://takomaparkmd.gov/government/public-works/stormwater-management-program/stormwater-fees-frequently-asked-questions-faq/
Code Enforcement Update: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2021/council-20210324-3.pdf. We heard from Neighborhood Services staff regarding code enforcement requirements and practices. I’m pleased this agenda item was scheduled by Mayor Stewart, because I’ve heard from a number of residents with questions and concerns about the enforcement process. While I appreciated the information we received from City staff in this session, there are still some questions I have, as well as areas on which I’m hopeful we’ll be able to make changes to existing policies or to the ordinance if necessary.
Of particular concern, I’ve heard from residents who have temporarily stored articles on their front porches. I agree that rubbish and trash shouldn’t accumulate on front porches, but I think we need more clarity on how we treat materials that aren’t refuse. In addition, I’d like to see discussion in the future about how “freecycling” is handled by Neighborhood Services. Because we had a packed agenda, we didn’t get into that point on March 24, so I plan to follow up separately with staff. You can see video of my remarks starting at 3:42:30 here: https://takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/meetings-and-documents/city-council-video/
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
County Tax Duplication: https://takomaparkmd.gov/uncategorized/action-needed-to-ensure-fair-tax-duplication-payments/. Following passage of the City Council resolution calling on Montgomery County to include additional funds in its budget this year to address tax duplication, Mayor Stewart posted this blog on the topic. It includes details on how residents can express their views on this issue to the County Council. It’s vital they hear from City residents about tax duplication, and I encourage concerned residents to act accordingly.
Safe Grow Garden Photo Contest: https://takomaparkmd.gov/news-alert/safe-grow-garden-contest-is-back-this-years-theme-together-we-bloom/. Submissions are due by April 24.
Sidewalk Poetry Contest Winners Announced. https://takomaparkmd.gov/news-alert/sidewalk-poetry-contest-winners-announced/. For those who missed it, the winners of the sidewalk poetry contest have been announced. You can see all the winning poems through the above link. Congratulations to the all the winners, including especially the younger entrants.
Construction on Eastern Ave. between Piney Branch Rd. and Takoma Ave. Many residents, in particular those who live in North Takoma, have asked about the construction on Eastern Ave. by the Metro tracks. This is a project to extend the bike trail that already exists along Takoma Avenue. That short block of Eastern Avenue is located in the District of Columbia, and the project is being managed by the DC Department of Transportation. According to Takoma Park City staff who have been in touch with their District counterparts, the work is scheduled to be finished in early June. It’s disappointing that DC wasn’t able to coordinate in some way with Pepco so the construction work could have been completed sooner.
PROCLAMATION AND PRESENTATION
Arbor Day Proclamation: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/mayoral-proclamations/2021/pr20210407-arbor-day.pdf
Recreation Center Report: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2021/council-20210407-2.pdf. As part of our plan for renovation of the Rec Center, the City contracted with Brick & Story to conduct a public engagement effort to learn more about residents’ views on the project and what kind of facility and programming they would like to see. The public engagement was focused on residents of color, Ward 6 residents, those living closest to the Rec Center, and those who rarely connect to City government. The contract, originally for 6 months, was extended due to the challenges connected to COVID. We’ll be hearing this week from Brick & Story on the results of their work.
VOTING SESSION
Budget Amendment: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2021/council-20210407-3.pdf. This will be the second and final vote on an amendment to reflect the impact on our budget of the decision by the Council in March to allocate $200,000 from the Housing Reserve to an affordable housing project on Lincoln Avenue. The City is undertaking this effort in collaboration with Housing Initiative Partnership, a Prince George’s County-based non-profit. You can read about the project here: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2021/council-20210317-5rev.pdf. I’ll be voting in favor of the amendment.
WORK SESSION
Continued Discussion of Council-Appointed Committees: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2021/council-20210407-4-rev.pdf. This will be another in the series of discussions we’ve held on this topic. The Council has been conducting a comprehensive review of our resident boards, committees and commissions, with the goal of making them more effective, giving them a more consistent structure, and promoting a more diverse membership. This effort has been led by a working group composed of Councilmembers Dyballa, Kostiuk and Searcy. This week’s discussion will be focused on their recommendations concerning the quasi-judicial and regulatory committees.
Update on City Manager Search. There were no background materials available as of blog-post time. With City Manager Suzanne Ludlow retiring at the end of June, the Council has begun a process to search for her replacement, and we’ll receive an update on the status of that effort.
Update on Reimagining Public Safety Task Force. There was no agenda information available as of blog-post time. You can find background on the Task Force, including information on how to observe the next meeting (scheduled for today, April 6) or to watch videos of previous meetings here: https://takomaparkmd.gov/initiatives/project-directory/reimagining-public-safety/
Please feel free to be in touch with questions or comments about the issues covered in this blog.
Peter Kovar
Takoma Park City Council
Ward One
240-319-6281
(He, Him, His)
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