Dear Neighbors:
Yes, we are still contending with the aftermath of the snowstorm, but the City Council will be meeting on Wednesday night. The following is a link to the agenda and background information: http://documents.takomaparkmd.gov.s3.amazonaws.com/government/city-council/agendas/2016/packet-20160127.pdf
The agenda includes: a closed session to discuss the Washington-McLaughlin property; a briefing by the President of Washington Adventist Hospital regarding the hospital's planned move; a first reading ordinance on additions to the 2016 City budget; a resolution authorizing the architect to proceed with the Library design; three consent agenda (or non-controversial) items; presentation of the annual report from the Safe Roadways Committee; and presentation of the City Manager's quarterly report.
I support and will vote for the consent agenda items (and indeed I am pleased that, as part of that agenda, we will be naming former Mayor Bruce Williams as the City's Representative on Chesapeake Bay matters).
I am supportive of a number of the items contained in the budget amendment. That being said, this is a first reading item, meaning that the final vote on the amendment will not occur until an upcoming Council meeting next month. So, as a new member of the Council, with this being the first time I will be participating in a broad discussion on the budget in an official Council meeting, I view the discussion on this amendment on Wednesday as a valuable opportunity to gain greater insight into the municipal budget process.
With respect to the library resolution, I am supportive of the library renovation and expansion, and I would like to move forward with the project. However, I do have some questions about the extent to which the current version of the design (in terms of the overall size and footprint of the proposed structure) can still be modified before the project moves ahead. I will want to have those questions answered before making a final decision on how to vote on the resolution.
If you would like additional information, if you have any questions, or if you would like to discuss any of the items on the Council agenda, please feel free to be in touch.
Peter Kovar, Takoma Park City Council. Ward One