The Takoma Park Reimagining Public Safety Task Force (RPSTF) first convened in March 2021. The purpose of the Task Force is to develop recommendations that make Takoma Park a safer, more livable community for all residents, with an emphasis on addressing racial inequalities that exist regarding public safety. The City Council created the Task Force as an opportunity for the City to bring community voices into the process as we take stock of what is working, what is not, and explore best practices in public safety in our City.

To date, the Task Force has met weekly as a full Task Force and established subcommittees related to Alternate Methods to Policing, Community Quality of Life, and Community Engagement and Transparency. The group has received and analyzed data from City agencies on traffic stops, arrests, and budgeting. The Task Force invited a number of subject matter experts to present information on topics ranging from housing and mental health to communications and complaint management. A complete record of meeting recordings and summaries can be found on the RPSTF project page here.

The Task Force has hosted two Community Listening Sessions so far where community members were able to address Task Force members directly.  The City has also created a number of opportunities for Takoma Park stakeholders to engage with this project. LINK Strategic Partners and Expectant Advisory, the Task Force’s facilitation partner, have conducted a series of stakeholder interviews with individuals in Takoma Park including school principals, renter community members, long-term residents, community leaders, and more. LINK also facilitated a focus group discussion for local community leaders and two focus groups with Takoma Park police officers. In the coming weeks, we are working with the business community to hold discussions to receive additional feedback. There is also an online survey open to the public to provide written comments that can be accessed here.

In the next six weeks, the Task Force will continue to meet to draft and refine recommendations for the City of Takoma Park. This timeline extension allows the Task Force to process additional community feedback and work with subject matter experts on further research while also ensuring that recommendations are finalized and communicated to the City Council in time to leverage funds anticipated from the American Recovery Plan Act.

As their efforts progress, please provide feedback to the Task Force using the public comment form on the project website here. The Task Force will hold a final Community Listening Session in mid-June to present initial recommendations for feedback – stay tuned for more information on how to participate.

Overview of Past Meetings: 

• March 16: Deep dive into the focus of the Task Force; discussed timeline, structure and process; spent time defining success for the work
• March 23: Task Force members received an overview of city government and agencies; discussion of subcommittees and structure; begin to identify subcommittee focus areas
• March 30: Task Force members went into breakouts to discuss subcommittee structure; what is working, what is not, and what can be done moving forward; resources and subject matter experts needed to accomplish the tasks.
• April 6: Chief DeVaul presented detailed traffic stop data as requested, overall and by race, and took questions from Task Force members.
• April 13: The proposed subcommittee assignments and their facilitators were announced. The subcommittees met to begin their work, map out recommendations for action, and identify further resource needs.
• April 20: Task Force citizen leads were announced, and they and subcommittee members reported on the themes developed during the subcommittee meetings of 4.13
• April 27: Grayce Wiggins, Manager of Housing and Community Development, was the guest speaker for the open portion of the meeting. City subject matter experts met with the subcommittees to respond to questions about their areas of expertise and their agencies’ operations.
• May 4: Chief of Police Antonio DeVaul gave an overview of arrest data for Takoma Park 2015-2020 and took questions from Task Force members. City Manager Suzanne Ludlow gave an overview of the Takoma Park budget and took questions from Task Force members.
• May 11: Subcommittees continued to dig into data and identify subject matter experts specific to their focus areas.
• May 18: Subcommittees reported on their process and progress. The Task Force and attendees heard from subject matter experts they had requested: Claudia Tolson, Takoma Park Police Department Victim/Witness Coordinator, and Dr. Simone Walton, Mental Health Subcommittee Lead on the Montgomery County Task Force.
• May 25: Subcommittees worked to further refine the recommendations developing from their research. Subject matter experts requested by Task Force members met with the subcommittees: Dara Baldwin, Director of National Policy, Center for Disability Rights; Bernice Mireku-North, The North Law Group, Co-Chair, Montgomery County Task Force; Marc Mauer, Senior Advisor at The Sentencing Project, Co-Chair, Montgomery County Task Force; Donna Wright, Takoma Park Communications Specialist; Andrew Powell, Deputy Chief & Internal Affairs Representative Takoma Park Police Department; Dan Frishkorn, Captain, Takoma Park Police Department; Jessica Clarke, Takoma Park Deputy City Manager
• June 1: Subcommittee report-outs on refining recommendations. Subject matter experts Delegate David Moon and Ann Ciekot of Public Policy Partners provided an overview of legislative reform efforts related to public safety at the State level

Timeline Graphic

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Release

Mayor and City Council Designate Jamal T. Fox as Takoma Park’s Next City Manager

“After conducting a thorough national search and an extensive interview process, we are pleased to welcome Jamal to the City. His experience, background and leadership will serve the residents and employees in Takoma Park and its future very well. We are looking forward to having Jamal join our team to assist our community as we look to recover from the pandemic and move forward on racial equity, housing, climate change, reimagining public safety and other initiatives,” said Mayor Kate Stewart.

“I am very honored by Mayor Stewart and the City Council to be selected to serve as the City Manager for Takoma Park. I am thrilled about this opportunity to join a strong, dedicated, and talented team. I am looking forward to collaborating with the City Council, staff, residents, and the business community,” said Fox.

Mr. Fox currently serves as the City Administrator in Camas, Washington. He has also served as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Mayor and was the city’s Parks Property & Business Development Manager for the City of Portland, Oregon. Previously, Fox worked in the City Manager’s Office and in the Planning and Community Development Department in the City of Greensboro, North Carolina.

Mr. Fox has a Master of Public Administration degree from the Capella University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from North Carolina A&T State University. At the age of 25, Fox became the youngest person ever to be elected and serve on the Greensboro City Council representing District 2 (northeast Greensboro). He is a former adjunct professor in political science at North Carolina A&T State University and high school teacher with Guilford County Schools.

Fox and his wife, Jaimee, have one son, Jamal Jr., who is 2 years old and a daughter on the way in July. Fox is a proud father, husband and member of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. Fox is looking forward to becoming an active member in the community and region.

Mr. Fox will begin work at the City of Takoma Park on August 2, 2021.

The City of Takoma Park operates under a council-manager form of government. The City Manager is responsible to the Mayor and the Council for the day-to-day management of city operations. Under provisions of the City Charter and code, the City Manager prepares a budget for the Mayor and Council’s approval; recruits, hires, and supervises staff; serves as the Mayor and Council’s chief administrative officer; implements Mayor and Council policies; and provides professional recommendations.

# # #

Read the Press Release here

Media Contact:
Donna Wright
Communications Specialist
donnaw@takomaparkmd.gov
301-891-7236

The Housing and Community Development Department announced today that Governor Hogan had awarded the City of Takoma Park  significant grant funds as part of the National Capital Strategic Economic Development Fund (NCSEDF) initiative.

The first grant is a $500,000 Revitalization Award for the revitalization of 6530 and 6600 New Hampshire Avenue.

The revitalization project includes the acquisition and rehabilitation of the properties. The property at 6530 New Hampshire Ave, a highly visible but derelict 3-story commercial building, will become a state-of-the-art conference center and commercial-use building with new construction to create housing units. In partnership with a private developer, this multi-phase project will be the first mixed-use development of modern times in the City of Takoma Park.

The second award, a $500,00 Affordable Homeownership Opportunities Fund is for acquisition of properties to develop affordable homeownership opportunities and preserve a continuum of housing affordability in the City.

For more information:

• Read more about the announcement of the Governor’s Revitalization Awards
• See a list of awardees here

“The City welcomes the Circuit Court for Montgomery County’s decision today permitting the Co-op to continue to use the Takoma Junction lot for its deliveries and parking for the present time. The City continues to work with NDC and the Co-op in an effort to assist both parties in resolving differences.”

Dear Councilmembers,

Over the next two weeks, you have the opportunity to take a significant step towards finally resolving municipal tax duplication issues that have gone on for decades. The County Council’s GO Committee has recommended funding and processes that will build on hard work done by municipal and county officials over the past few years. What are these recommendations?

• Adding $5 million to the tax duplication payment recommended by the County Executive so that the County’s municipalities receive the amount that is appropriate for FY22; and
• Expressing the expectation that, by October, the County Executive’s staff will negotiate with the four municipalities with police departments to determine the appropriate rebate amounts for police services for FY23 and beyond; and that also park maintenance formulas and County Code language will be updated.

What do we ask you to do?
Vote to accept the unanimous GO Committee recommendation regarding tax duplication when it comes before you.

We also ask County President Tom Hucker and all Councilmembers to act to ensure that the full additional $5 million is in the final FY22 County budget.

THANK YOU to GO Committee Chair Nancy Navarro and Committee Members Councilmembers Sidney Katz and Andrew Friedson! We appreciate your understanding of the hardship the municipalities have faced due to having the rebates frozen since 2012, and your belief that this is the year to resolve the issues.

Best regards,
Montgomery County municipal residents

Background information and County Councilmember email addresses can be found here: Municipal Tax Duplication 

The City of Takoma Park is pleased to join with America Indivisible in congratulating the new Public Leaders for Inclusion Council (PLC) cohort! 

America Indivisible Introduces the 2021 Public Leaders for Inclusion Council 

[Washington, D.C.] — We are pleased to announce our third annual Public Leaders for Inclusion Council (PLC) cohort! This year we have an amazing group of fifteen appointed and elected public leaders from nine different states and Washington D.C. To learn more about them, please click here.

The Public Leaders for Inclusion Council (PLC) is a leadership development program seeking to convene a select number of civil servants from across the country who have shown a consistent commitment to combating bigotry and building inclusive communities. It deepens skills and knowledge on addressing Islamophobia and its impacts on Muslim, Black, Arab, Sikh, and South Asian American communities. If health conditions permit, America Indivisible and the Aspen Institute’s Inclusive America Project will host a PLC summer summit in Washington D.C.; otherwise, it will be virtual. The program concludes in September with the opportunity for leaders to apply for America Indivisible grants to fund resources focused on addressing issues of anti-Muslim bigotry in their local communities.

America Indivisible is a non-partisan, non-profit coalition effort to address rising bigotry against members of Muslim communities and those who appear to be Muslim from Black, Arab, Sikh, and South Asian American communities by reinforcing the American values of equality, pluralism, and strength through diversity. More information is available at www.americaindivisible.org, or by contacting Lida Azim at lida@americaindivisible.org.

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