Dear Neighbors:
As the City Council moves toward its August break, the meeting on July 28 will be our last until September. Here’s a link to the agenda: https://takomaparkmd.gov/meeting_agendas/city-council-meeting-agenda-wednesday-july-28-2021/.
We’ll be voting on: recommendations for the Maryland Municipal League’s priorities in the 2022 State legislative session in Annapolis; continuing the closure of Laurel Avenue for the Streetery; the budget amendment which includes initial allocations of Federal ARPA funding; and amendments to the City’s Purchasing Code. There will also be votes on a contract for sports officiating; appointments to the Youth Council; and a resolution designating the August recess. In the work session, we’ll continue our discussion on Council-appointed committees, which will include some preliminary decisions on eliminating, phasing out, or repurposing some of the committees. There will also be a proclamation on the Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Health Awareness Month. See below for details on all the agenda items.
The public comment sign-up is open until 5:00 PM on the day of the meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fFPqkSi8SiOMBzln3spvYQ. You can view the 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.
National Minority Health Awareness Month Proclamation: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/mayoral-proclamations/2021/pr20210728_Campbel-National-Minority-Mental-Health-Awareness-Month.pdf
COVID UPDATE
The Takoma Park COVID-19 Data Dashboard has been updated with data through July 22, 2021:
· 245 more residents became at least partially vaccinated in the last week and 264 more became fully vaccinated, bringing the city's total of at least partially vaccinated residents to 14,439 (83.1% of all residents) and the city's total fully vaccinated residents to 12,664 (71.7%).
· There were 3 new cases of COVID-19 reported in the last week, bringing the city's total cases since the pandemic’s start to 1,735 and the total cases reported in July to 5.
· There were no new deaths due to COVID-19 reported in the last week.
You can use this site to make County vaccination appointments: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/vaccine/. You can also sign up for vaccinations through the State Vaccine Website. For testing see the Montgomery County Testing Sites.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Montgomery College Leggett Building Project Update Forum -- July 27, 6:00 PM. For information on the status of the Math-Science Building project, including how to RSVP for the forum: https://mcblogs.montgomerycollege.edu/tpss-math-science-building/leggett-building-project-activity-update-july-23-2021/
National Night Out -- August 3, 6:00 - 9:00 PM on Maple Ave. by Piney Branch Elementary School. https://takomaparkmd.gov/news-alert/its-back-national-night-out-tuesday-august-3/. This annual event hosted by the Police Department will feature police vehicles and horses, McGruff the Crime Dog, child ID kits and fingerprinting, music/dance/karaoke, dunk tank/basketball, face painting/moon bounce, games, prizes, food and ice cream.
Look Under Your Feet for Poetry by the Street. https://takomaparkmd.gov/news-alert/look-under-your-feet-for-poetry-by-the-street/. Read all 20 poems by residents of all ages printed into sidewalks around Takoma Park in this project led by the City’s Arts and Humanities Division.
Acting City Manager Comments. https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-manager/ActingCM_Comments/acm-comments-20210722.pdf. Read Acting City Manager Jessica Clarke’s official comments from last week’s Council meeting.
VOTING SESSION
Maryland Municipal League Legislative Action Requests: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2021/council-20210728-1.pdf. Every year, MML adopts legislative priorities which the organization highlights in its lobbying and advocacy efforts in Annapolis. Member municipalities like Takoma Park are able to recommend up to three priorities. Those recommendations are due by the end of July each year, and MML then decides on its final list in the fall. The Council discussed potential priorities in our July 14 meeting, and agreed to recommend two areas of focus: protection for renters and promotion of affordable housing, and addressing climate change. We’ll vote on a resolution this week approving those recommendations. I’ll be voting for the resolution.
Laurel Avenue Streetery: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2021/council-20210728-2.pdf With the closure of the northbound lane of Laurel Ave. set to expire on September 30, the Council will be voting on a plan to extend the closure for another year, with possible one-year extensions beyond that. As I’ve noted, I think the Streetery has been successful, with a notable increase in vibrancy and walkability in the area. My initial areas of concern (parking for disabled drivers, access to the Post Office, cut-through traffic, and public space for those who aren’t patrons of the local businesses) have all been adequately addressed. I’d like to see the current arrangement remain in effect, even if the pandemic continues to ease, and I plan to vote in favor of the resolution.
I did mention in last week’s Council meeting my interest in including in the resolution language on the financial impact of the closure on the Farmers Market (which of course has been operating in the private parking lot behind the Laurel Ave. businesses), as well as emphasizing the importance of providing assistance to small businesses elsewhere in the City which may not be able to take advantage of the kind of closure we have on Laurel Ave. I’m hopeful we’ll be able to amend the resolution during this week’s meeting to include both of those points prior to the final vote.
Budget Amendment (two separate votes): https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2021/council-20210728-3-4-rev.pdf. The budget amendment reflects the need to transfer from last fiscal year to the current one certain budgeted expenditures which were held up for various reasons. It also includes some initial allocations connected to ARPA, the massive Federal aid legislation under which the City will be receiving over $17 million (we received the first half of those funds earlier this month). The ARPA monies can be used primarily for assistance in responding to COVID, including helping residents most negatively affected by the virus, though the money can also be used for stormwater projects and broadband expansion.
The ARPA proposal drafted by staff called for hiring personnel and making technology upgrades to help administer the funds, and it also included $150,000 for eviction prevention and assistance. I supported that eviction help, but I thought the number was too low. So in last week’s Council meeting I proposed increasing these funds to $250,000, and I’m pleased my Council colleagues voted for that idea. In addition, I had urged that we also allocate ARPA funds for food insecurity/nutrition support. In response to that idea, City staff suggested including $250,000 for these purposes from the ARPA account, through a grant program, with the monies going to area non-profit groups working on food insecurity. That idea also drew unanimous Council support and I’m glad to say it has now also been added to the budget amendment.
I understand the recommendation from some in the community that we should have more direct financial assistance for residents in this budget amendment, separate from the $500,000 we’re allocating for food and housing. However, I’m concerned we don’t currently have the staff capacity and bandwidth to do that in an effective way that’s aligned with the Federal requirements on using the funds. I also think we need to make sure we’re coordinating well with Montgomery County’s ARPA assistance efforts. Releasing the food assistance funds through a grant process could mean a less immediate impact than if we provided the funds through a direct aid program. However, I have some doubts that a plan focused on direct financial aid to individual residents would actually be much quicker, given everything that would be involved in setting up and administering such a program. So it’s my sense that, on balance, this initial allocation of $500,000 is a reasonable first step. In the fall, I look forward to taking further steps to channel additional ARPA funds to those in the community who are most in need.
Purchasing Code Amendments: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2021/council-20210728-5-rev.pdf. The Council has had several recent discussions on changes to our Purchasing Code, which has been amended only slightly over the last couple of decades. Among the key proposed changes are increases in the purchase amounts above which Council approval and/or senior staff sign-off would be required, and incorporating social equity factors into procurement specifications. I’m pleased that -- based on the urgings of several of us on the Council -- the proposed changes now include more robust language on social equity as well as more frequent reporting to the Council of larger purchases. However, the new thresholds are still higher than I would prefer. As a result -- despite my support for the social equity language and some other valuable changes included in the proposal -- I’ll be voting against the overall package of amendments, as I did in the initial vote last week.
To be more specific, the proposal would raise from $5,000 or $10,000 to $50,000 the purchase amount that triggers a Council vote, with the City Manager required to sign off on purchases above $30,000. I agree the amount should be increased from the current levels, but I don’t support going as high as $50,000. Setting the threshold at $30,000 would be more in line with other communities of around our size in the region. Had we been able to set the threshold at that level, I would be supportive. However, a majority of the Council voted last week to move to the higher number. I don’t see that changing, so again I’ll be voting no.
CONSENT AGENDA (a single vote covering the following three items; I’ll be voting yes):
Sports Officiating Contract: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2021/council-20210728-6A.pdf. This contract covers Recreation Department activities for which outside umpires and referees are needed.
Youth Council Appointments: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2021/council-20210728-6B.pdf. There will be 11 appointees to the Council.
Summer Recess Resolution: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2021/council-20210728-6c.pdf. Our next meeting will be on September 8.
WORK SESSION
Discussion of Council-Appointed Committees: https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2021/council-20210728-7.pdf. Based on background analysis and recommendations from a working group consisting of Councilmembers Dyballa, Kostiuk and Searcy, the Council has had numerous discussions over the last several months regarding potential changes to our Council-appointed Committees. The goal is to reform the way the committees operate to improve their effectiveness, and to move toward committee membership that’s more reflective of Takoma Park’s diverse population. The working group has put forward a number of recommendations, which I support, to standardize committee procedures and to expand our recruitment efforts.
A second aspect of the working group’s recommendations is the future status of the various committees, some of which they call for retaining, while others would potentially be eliminated, phased out, or repurposed. These recommendations -- which I generally support -- are summarized in the above link. One area where I have a different view is on the Nuclear Free Committee. Rather than phasing it out, I’d like to explore shifting its focus (perhaps in the form of a Task Force) toward helping us figure out how to transition to a nuclear-free (and ideally fossil fuel free) banking relationship. I’d also like to get a better understanding of the potential future role of the Committee on the Environment, including whether it would make sense for the committee to have a role in helping us implement our Climate Change Framework.
While we won’t be formally voting on these changes until fall, in order to begin recruitment in time for October appointments, the Council will make preliminary decisions about the committees’ futures in this week’s meeting.
Feel free to be in touch with questions or comments about any of the issues 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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