Dear Neighbors:
With August drawing to a close and local schools starting up, I’m hopeful most residents -- despite COVID-related challenges -- were able to get away this summer and/or spend some quality time with their families. The City Council will begin meeting again on Wednesday, September 8. We had originally planned to resume in-person Council meetings on that date, with a pre-reception at which members of the public could meet new City Manager Jamal Fox. Those plans are now uncertain, given the recent developments with the coronavirus, and I think there’s a good chance we’ll continue meeting remotely, as least for the time being. There will be an announcement on the plans for our upcoming meetings later this week. Meanwhile, I’ll be holding Office Hours on Thursday, September 2, from 9:00 - 11:00 AM, in the public portion of the Laurel Avenue Streetery. All topics welcome — no appointments necessary.
COVID Update
The Takoma Park COVID-19 Data Dashboard has been updated with data through August 27, 2021. Key data points noted by City staff:
· As of August 25, the State reports an at least first dose vaccination rate for the 20912 zip code of 61.4%, and a fully vaccinated rate of 55.2%
· There were 23 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Takoma Park since last week, bringing the City's total since the start of the pandemic to 1,803.
· August's total of 50 new cases so far is the highest since April's 70 cases.
· There were no new deaths reported due to COVID-19 in the 20912 zip code since last week, leaving the zip code's COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic’s at 42.
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. There is information on City resources along with COVID related assistance available from other levels of government and/or non-profit organizations here: https://takomaparkmd.gov/initiatives/project-directory/information-and-resources-covid-19/
With the eviction moratoria expiring, City staff are coordinating with County officials to assist Takoma Park residents who may be facing eviction from their apartments due to the pandemic. If you or someone you know is facing eviction, contact the City’s Housing and Community Development office: https://takomaparkmd.gov/government/housing-and-community-development/contact-us/. In addition, Representative Jamie Raskin recently put out a newsletter with information on services available for those who are facing eviction: https://iqconnect.house.gov/iqextranet/view_newsletter.aspx?id=100809&c=MD08JR. And, there was a recent article in the Baltimore Sun by the District Court of Maryland’s Chief Judge, which includes details on various State housing related legal assistance programs: https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/op-ed/bs-ed-op-0823-judge-rent-court-20210820-paodamuzejcc5ganjug7ol6uy4-story.html
Takoma Park Police Department Data. https://takomaparkmd.gov/news-alert/takoma-park-police-release-arrest-and-traffic-stop-data-from-2015-2020-and-computer-aided-dispatch-cad-calls-from-2018-2020/. Police Chief DeVaul recently announced the release of Arrest and Traffic Stop data from the years 2015 - 2020, as well as Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) calls from 2018 - 2020. The information is interactive and is broken down by race, gender, age, residency, type of offense, etc. This data will be especially valuable when the Council considers the recommendations of the Reimaging Public Safety Task Force: https://takomaparkmd.gov/initiatives/project-directory/reimagining-public-safety/.
Stormwater Fees. As outlined in previous blogs, the new stormwater fee structure is now in effect for single family properties, with the first payments due this fall as part of annual property tax bills. All property owners should have received a mailer from the City listing their specific fee amount, which is based on a calculation of the impervious surface on each property. If you believe there’s an error in the calculation, you can request a correction. There’s information on how to appeal and other details about the new fees here: https://takomaparkmd.gov/government/public-works/stormwater-management-program/stormwater-fees-frequently-asked-questions-faq/. Since the County tax notices can’t be revised at this point, residents should pay the fee amounts on their property tax bills, and if they are eligible to receive credits through the City appeal process, the funds will be reimbursed later.
I have also previously described the problems with the property boundary lines which have emerged in some portions of the County map the City used to calculate the fees: https://mcplanning.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=942cd080339342d3b8c39bf8ccfb65ae. City staff have been in consultation with relevant County personnel, who are conducting a full review of the boundary lines. It’s not clear when the County review will be completed. In the meantime -- while I’m hoping there can be a comprehensive fix for this problem which doesn’t put the onus property owners -- I would recommend that residents whose property lines are inaccurate on the map also submit appeals. The boundary problem on the County map appears to affect many properties on my block (Holly Avenue and Piney Branch Road between Eastern and Philadelphia Avenues). I don’t know how significant the problem may be elsewhere, but I think it’s important for those who are affected to submit appeals to help ensure the map issues get resolved as soon as possible.
Council-Appointed Committees. https://takomaparkmd.gov/news-alert/the-city-council-is-accepting-applications-for-city-boards-and-committee-volunteers-through-september-30/. We’re actively recruiting members for City-Appointed Committees. It’s a great way for residents to get involved with City government, meet your neighbors, and explore issues of interest. As explained in my August 12 blog, the Council plans further discussion in September on the status of the Nuclear Free Committee: http://www.councilmemberkovar.com/blog/2021/8/11/august-12-2021-city-council-update. Please let me know what you think.
Recreation Department Updates. The Department is sponsoring a number of classes and activities this fall, including child care opportunities: https://takomaparkmd.gov/government/recreation/. In addition, they are hiring staff (at least 21 years old) to work with youth in grades 6 - 12 in the Community Center's Teen Lounge after school. Go to takomaparkmd.gov/careers and then search in "teens."
Folk Festival -- September 12: https://www.tpff.org/. This year’s festival will be live streamed on Sunday, September 12, from 4:00 - 9:00 PM.
Play Day -- September 26: https://www.letsplayamerica.org/upcoming-events. This fall’s Play Day -- sponsored by Let’s Play American in coordination with the Recreation Department -- will take place on Sunday, September 26, from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM at Takoma Park Middle School. It will be a day of blended virtual and in-person community play. Anyone who would like to suggest ideas or to lead activities should send an email to info@letsplayamerica.org.
COG Regional Air Quality Toolkit -- To raise awareness of regional air quality, the Greater Washington Council of Governments has developed a toolkit to encourage residents to stay up-to-date with developments concerning the region’s air quality: www.mwcog.org/aqi.
Sign up for Local Alerts: You can sign up to receive the Takoma Insider (which includes bi-weekly updates on what’s happening in City departments), as well as updates and alerts from the Police Department, the Office of Sustainability, Takoma Park Arts and more: https://takomaparkmd.gov/sign-up/. You can also register with WSSC to be notified when they are planning local water/sewer work near your home: https://member.everbridge.net/1332612387831877/login.
Please feel free to be in touch with questions or comments about 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)
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