The City Clerk issued this public notice in the April 24 issue of the Takoma Insider:

Notice Of Order Temporarily Suspending Legal Time Requirements Regarding MD Public Information Act Timeline:
The legal time requirements for the City’s response to requests under the Maryland Public Information Act are temporarily suspended until thirty (30) days have elapsed from the expiration of the State of Emergency and public health catastrophe, as determined by Governor Hogan. Maryland’s Public Information Act ordinarily requires the City to respond to requests for public records within ten (10) days, if there are no responsive records, or thirty (30) days, if responsive records exist. These time requirements are suspended. Link to signed notice.

Publication of the notice has caused concerns that the City will no longer be responding to questions or requests for information. This is not the case. The information below is being provided to clarify the City’s intentions.

Information From the Maryland Attorney General’s Open Government Website:

What is the Public Information Act? Maryland’s Public Information Act (“PIA”) gives the public the right to access government records without unnecessary cost and delay.

The PIA grants you the right to review the available records that are disclosable and to obtain copies of those records. It does not require an agency to answer informational questions or to create a record to satisfy your request.

What is a public record? A public record is defined as the original or copy of any documentary material in any form created or received by an agency in connection with the transaction of public business. Included in this definition are written materials, books, photographs, photocopies, firms, microfilms, records, tapes, computerized records, maps, drawings and other materials.

City of Takoma Park staff members routinely respond to questions and requests for information.  This has not changed during the pandemic. Additionally, if requests for records are received, staff continues to provide records that are accessible under the circumstances.

Please be assured that PIA requests will be responded to during the current health crisis. The notice that was published is regarding the normal 30 day requirement within which governments are required to respond to such requests. Given the current crisis, meeting the 30 days will not always be feasible. This course of action has been recommended by the Maryland Municipal Attorneys Association which took the lead on addressing the issue with the Governor’s Office. The City’s notice was submitted to the Governor’s Office of Legal Counsel and approved by it before it was signed and posted. Please email the City Clerk with any questions.

Wednesday, February 5
7:30 PM – Auditorium
Takoma Park Community Center, 7500 Maple Avenue

The City Council is holding a public hearing on a Resolution on 2020 Climate Emergency Response Framework: From Nuclear Fuel Free to Fossil Fuel Free. All interested residents should attend the public hearing and sign up to speak. (Advance sign up is not required.)

Background Information (from the January 22 Work Session)

January 22 PowerPoint Presentation

Link to Video of January 22 Presentation and Council Discussion
Presentation begins at 3:10:40

Council Compensation Task Force to be Appointed

The City Council invites residents to apply to serve on a Council Compensation Task Force to review the salary and other compensation for the Mayor and City Council and recommend whether they should be changed.  The recommendations will be considered by the City Council. Any change made to the salary and compensation would be voted on by the current Council and take effect beginning with the Mayor and Council elected in 2020.

The deadline for applications is October 30, 2019. Apply now.

View additional information about the Council Compensation Task Force.

Questions? Contact Jessie Carpenter, City Clerk, at 301-891-7267.

On Wednesday, October 23, 2019, the City Council will hold three public hearings on proposed amendments to the Takoma Park Charter. The hearings begin at 7:30 PM in the Auditorium of the Takoma Park Community Center, 7500 Maple Avenue, Takoma Park.

A. The proposed amendment to Article III City Council (1) adds a requirement that each voting ward be “compact in form, composed of adjoining territory, and have substantially equal populations,” a requirement currently imposed by the City Code; (2) changes the day of the first meeting of a newly elected Council from the second Monday following an election to the second Wednesday following the election to reflect the Council’s meeting schedule; and (3) eliminates gender binary language.

• Proposed Amendments to Article III – City Council

B. The proposed amendment to Article V Amendment Procedures: provides that the signature requirement for Charter amendment petitions is twenty percent of registered voters at the time of the last election, rather than twenty percent of persons qualified to vote.

• Proposed Amendments to Article V – Amendment Procedures

C. The proposed amendment to Article VI Registration, Nominations and Elections: (1) eliminates the 21-day residency requirement for voters; (2) eliminates outdated procedures; (3) clarifies existing language; (4) eliminates gender binary language; (5) revises deadlines to comport with early voting; (6) provides for election ties to be resolved by lot rather than runoff election; (7) eliminates requirement that election judges be appointed by the Council; (8) establishes a list of voters only registered to vote in City elections rather than a list of noncitizen registered voters; (9) changes references to “citizens” to “residents”; (10) provides that the signature requirement for advisory referendum petitions is twenty percent of registered voters at the time of the last election, rather than twenty percent of persons qualified to vote; (11) provides that the signature requirement for recall petitions is twenty percent of registered voters at the time of the last election, rather than the greater of 1500 qualified voters or twenty percent of qualified voters; (12) requires that signatures on recall petitions be obtained after the most recent election and at least 180 days prior to the next general election; (13) prohibits the Council from reappointing a recalled official; and (14) allows potential candidates to nominate themselves or second their nomination.

• Proposed Amendments to Article VI – Registration, Nominations and Elections

All interested persons should attend the public hearing and sign in to speak. View the full text of the proposed amendments:

See agenda item #4 from the City Council meeting of September 18, 2019 (Continued Discussion of Election-Related Charter and Code Amendments).

For information contact the City Clerk at clerk@takomaparkmd.gov or 301-891-7267.

(Post updated October 6, 2019)

The Parking Management Task Force is a short term task force  appointed by the City Council review parking management in the City, consider policy proposals for parking management, engage community participation in identifying problems and considering policy proposals, and provide advice to the City Council on possible next steps.

City staff will present the Task Force with the data and research on parking management, as well as staff’s suggestions for consideration by the Task Force. Guiding questions for the work of the Task Force will include:

• How should uses of on-street space be prioritized?
• What are the City’s objectives for the City’s right-of-way network?
• How well does the City’s current parking program manage the following:
  • parking meter demand, turn-over and rates?
  • commercial demand for employees and customers?
  • on-street parking space and Residential Parking Permit zones?
  • handicap parking needs?
  • parking enforcement?
• What are the equity issues in the current parking program?
• How can parking be managed to address the City’s concerns about climate change and sustainability?

The City Council will appoint approximately 10 individuals to serve on the Task Force: one member selected by each Councilmember and the Mayor, and possibly representatives from the business community, the accessibility advocacy community, and from relevant City committees such as the Committee on the Environment and the Complete Safe Streets Committee. Appointees will include residents of both single-family houses and multi-family units.

For more information, contact planning@takomaparkmd.gov.

To apply:

• Online Application Form

The deadline for applications has been extended until the Task Force is full.

The City Council will appoint 11 young people to serve as the 2019-2020 Takoma Park Youth Council. The application deadline is June 28, 2019.

Youth Council members are eligible to earn SSL hours.

Youth Council member qualifications:

• Takoma Park residents in grades 7-12
• Maintain at least a 2.5 grade point average for the current school year

The Takoma Park Youth Council provides opportunities for young people in Takoma Park:

• Learn about Takoma Park government by active participation.
• Help the City Council to address problems and accomplish the goals of this community by working directly with the representatives of youth.
• Serve the youth of Takoma Park by:
  • informing the Takoma Park municipal government of the needs and wishes of youth;
  • planning and implementing social, educational, cultural and recreational activities for the youth;
  • working with the Mayor, City Council, City department heads, schools, civic clubs and service organizations to provide service and leadership opportunities for the youth of the City; and,
  • helping to instill a feeling of positive self-worth and esteem, teaching respect for the rights of others, and promoting community pride.

Youth Council Application

Review the Youth Council Charter

Youth Council Web Page

Questions? Contact Jessie Carpenter, City Clerk:

301-891-7267 or jessiec@takomaparkmd.gov.