Dear Neighbors:
Here’s a link to the agenda for the October 30, 2019 City Council meeting: https://takomaparkmd.gov/meeting_agendas/city-council-meeting-agenda-wednesday-october-30-2019/. The key item is a continuation of our discussions on City tree policies. In addition, we’ll be voting on reimbursements connected to our Independence Day celebrations and the Folk Festival, along with a discussion of the future plans for Silver Spring Intermediate Park. There will also be an update from the Youth Council.
UPDATES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Flyers/signs in Public Rights of Way -- Next Council Discussion on November 6. Based on questions that have been raised about the rules governing the placement of political signs in public areas and similar questions about posting flyers, the Council had an initial discussion earlier this month about potential changes to our ordinance on this topic. Currently, the City Code bans posting of most signs in public rights of way, with exceptions for “home centered, occasional activities” like yard sales and bake sales. Also advertisements for home day care providers are explicitly exempt from the ban, and lost pet signs have typically been allowed.
In that earlier discussion we focused initially on what a comprehensive ban on such signs would look like. The Council was divided on whether a broader ban makes sense, and so we asked City Attorney Ken Sigman to present us with a wider range of options in this area. My view is that we should find a way to allow public posting of community-oriented signs and flyers. However, doing so is complicated because the Supreme Court ruled a few years ago that municipal governments can’t distinguish between publicly posted signs based on their content. My hope is that we can find a way to manage this type of activity perhaps based on the timing of events rather than the content, though it’s not clear if that would work for political signs. I would add that I don’t think we should adopt an ordinance that simply leaves posting of signs wide open. That could easily lead to a situation in which we have an excessive amount of unattractive commercial signs posted in many areas of the City (which is one of the trends that led to the original adoption of the ordinance).
Our next Council discussion on this subject will be at our November 6 meeting. We won’t be voting at that time. While it may be complicated, I have some optimism that we’ll be able to find a way to keep a reasonable degree of flexibility in the law, aligned with our sense of community. That’s certainly what I’ll be pushing for. You can see a memo the City Attorney recently drafted which discusses some options on this set of issues via this link: https://takomaparkmd.gov/city-council-and-mayor-blog/city-attorney-clarifies-reasons-for-proposed-sign-ordinance-revisions/.
Parking Management Task Force volunteers needed -- https://takomaparkmd.gov/government/boards-commissions-and-committees/parking-management-task-force/. The City is assembling a residents’ task force to explore issues relating to parking, and to make recommendations to the Council on potential changes to our policies. We need more applicants for the task force, including especially apartment building residents.
Council Compensation Task Force volunteers needed, October 30 application deadline -- https://takomaparkmd.gov/government/boards-commissions-and-committees/council-compensation-task-force-2019/. Every four years the Council appoints a task force to review the compensation of Councilmembers and to make recommendations for potential changes. Among the issues to be examined this year is whether the salary and level of benefits of the current compensation system are barriers for some residents to running for, or serving on, the Council.
Montgomery County Fiscal Year 2021 Operating Budget Forum -- Wednesday, October 30, 7:00 PM at the Silver Spring Civic Center. https://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgportalapps/Press_Detail.aspx?Item_ID=23509. This is the second of four public budget forums hosted by County Executive Marc Elrich where residents, businesses and organizations can learn about the County budget process and provide input into next year’s budget. The event is a good opportunity for Takoma Park residents to offer their views on key County issues that affect the City, including tax duplication. You can see more information about tax duplication through this link: https://takomaparkmd.gov/initiatives/municipal-tax-duplication/
Community Tree Forum -- Monday, November 4, 7:00 PM -- The City has invited several outside experts and arborists to a community forum focused on the current oak tree die-off, the borer beetles that are the immediate cause of the die-off, and related issues.
Montgomery College Presentation with Q & A on the new Math-Science Building -- Wednesday, November 6, 6:00 - 7:00 PM -- Prior to the start of the regular Council meeting, in the Community Center auditorium we’ll be hearing from College officials as well as representatives of the architectural and construction firms working on this project. I anticipate the focus of the presentation will be on the construction process and steps that can be taken to address concerns about the impact of the construction work on the neighborhood including noise, hours of work, etc. Members of the public will have an opportunity to ask questions.
Takoma Radio (WOWD, 94.3 FM), Sunday, November 10 at 1:00 PM -- I’ll be on the “Talk of Takoma” show hosted by Eric Bond.
State Department of Assessments and Taxation Presentation with Q & A -- Wednesday, November 13, 6:00 - 7:00 PM -- This presentation will also take place in the auditorium prior to the start of the regular Council meeting. Because a number of residents have raised questions about what they see as inconsistencies in this year’s re-assessment data and patterns, we requested an opportunity to hear from SDAT staff about the results. Again, residents will be able to ask questions.
VOTING SESSION
Independence Day and Folk Festival Reimbursements: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2019/council-20191030-1.pdf. These funds were included in the budget, and I’ll be voting yes.
WORK SESSION (no votes)
SSI Park: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2019/council-20191030-2.pdf. This is the park located between Boston and Philadelphia Avenues, close by Montgomery College. It has technically been under the control of the County School system and is being transferred to the County parks department. The park will be renovated, based on plans developed by the County after a series of public meetings. While the park (or portions of it) will be closed during renovation, I’m glad it will be upgraded.
I do have a few questions related to traffic safety issues on Boston Avenue during times when the park is in heavy use, stormwater control (residents lower down on Boston have experienced water flow problems during periods of heavy rain), and how the construction work will proceed (including noise, equipment storage and staging, and traffic impacts, if any). I look forward to getting more information about those topics as work on the project moves forward.
Tree Policy Discussions: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2019/council-20191030-3.pdf. The Council has been exploring for some time how to proceed on City tree policies in three areas: potential changes to the Tree Ordinance, developing tree canopy goals, and improving public outreach and education. As I’ve noted previously, these three concepts can be mutually reinforcing if they are properly developed.
This past week we talked about potential changes to the treatment of hazardous trees, including for example, possibly making trees in active decline eligible for lesser re-planting requirements or a waiver of the requirements. There’s more discussion needed on those points before we’d be ready to approve any changes. We also had an in-depth discussion on tree canopy goals, including options for getting an on-the-ground survey of our trees. While there is also still plenty to discuss on the tree canopy topic, I’m pleased the Council expressed broad backing for incorporating a greater focus on native trees, species diversity, and climate change into our tree policies. This week’s discussion will center on ways to improve education and outreach (including the role of the Urban Forest Manager), along with our pre-planting program (including options for incentivizing tree planting on private property), plus fees and funding, and further discussions on tree canopy issues.
Again at this point we haven’t formally agreed to anything specific concerning our tree policies. We’ll have staff begin to prepare draft language based on what we’ve discussed in our three sessions this month, with further work sessions most likely taking place in November and January. The earliest any formal votes would occur is in February.
Please feel free to contact me with questions or comments about any of the topics that are covered in this message.
Peter Kovar, Takoma Park City Council. Ward One
240-319-6281; www.councilmemberkovar.com