From Suzanne Ludlow, City Manager of Takoma Park

Happy December! Before things quiet down for the holidays, I wanted to share some information.

New City Council

First, I want to share my pleasure at working with the newly-elected City Council. Mayor Kate Stewart, new members Peter Kovar and Rizzy Qureshi, and returning Councilmembers Tim Male, Terry Seamens, Jarrett Smith and Fred Schultz are a collegial group clearly committed to being effective leaders of the City of Takoma Park. They have one more meeting before going on holiday recess. This Monday’s meeting will be of interest to many families, as it includes a look at the problem of overcrowding in public schools in Takoma Park and what might be done about it.

Starting January 13, the Council will begin meeting on Wednesday evenings, instead of Monday evenings. After 22 years of always being busy on Monday nights, I’m looking forward to something new!

Sympathy and Security

One of the first actions of the new Council was to pass a resolution of support for Syrian refugees. This resolution came soon after the community vigil mourning the death of Takoma Park resident Anita Datar in the recent Mali terrorist attack. Once again, I have been moved by the caring of our community towards all people.

I also know that terrorism and violence can strike anywhere and for many reasons. After the shooting in San Bernardino – just a few blocks from the apartment of one of my brothers – I sent a message to our City staff reminding them to contact the police department or our human resources department if they notice something that seems to be of concern, whether in the neighborhoods they serve or in their offices. I ask all residents to do the same. Please call the police department (301-270-1100) if you see something you are concerned about. Our officers are trained to investigate and they know how to handle things in a sensitive manner. Time and time again, people mention things to their family and friends but don’t tell the people that are trained to address the situation. Residents and City staff together form the partnership that keeps Takoma Park a safe and welcoming community.

Library Renovation Meetings – Please Attend!

A proposal for renovating and modestly expanding the Takoma Park Library is ready for resident review and comment. Please come to one of the two public meetings to see the plans, talk with the architect, and offer comments and suggestions. The two meetings will be held in the Community Center Azalea Room at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, December 16 and Thursday, January 7. I’m excited about these plans and I’m sure that, with your suggestions, they will be just right for Takoma Park!

New Website

The new City of Takoma Park website has been live for almost a month now. If you haven’t tried using it, take a little time to explore. It is much easier to use from mobile devices than the old website and its search function is much better as well. One great feature is at the tab labeled “Initiatives,” where you can click on subjects of wide public interest, or click on the Project Directory to learn the status of many other City projects.  We’re still adding content and features to the website and welcome your suggestions for improvements.

My Schedule

I will be taking off December 15 – 22 for a short vacation, but will be around through the holidays. Feel free to contact me if you have questions, concerns or suggestions. Also, please consider inviting me, Deputy City Manager Jason Damweber, a Police Department representative, or other staff members to an upcoming community meeting or event. We always learn so much from meeting with residents and enjoy getting to know you.

Have a happy and safe holiday!

Suzanne Ludlow
City Manager
Email: SuzanneL@takomaparkmd.gov
Phone: 301-891-7229

From Craig Terrill, Media Specialist of Takoma Park:

As of Tuesday, November 17, 2015 beta.takomaparkmd.gov is officially takomaparkmd.gov!

We’re Still In Beta for the Next Thirty Days

The new version of takomaparkmd.gov is a pretty radical departure from the previous website. All the technology to run it is brand new and we’re still working in the City to import, sort and improve content.

The plan, as of the publishing of this post, is to stay in beta for the next thirty days.  During those next thirty days…

We Still Need Your Help

The best suggestions on how to improve takomaparkmd.gov come from our users. We still need to hear about the good stuff, the bad stuff and the ugly stuff. Use the Make a Suggestion & Report Bugs form and tell us about your experience.

What Next?

It is our sincere hope as City staff that takomaparkmd.gov continues to evolve and improve. We’ve spent the last 12 months stripping our web program down to the bare metal. The rebuilt website is much easier to maintain, add content to and use and we’re excited that our residents and stakeholders finally get to use it.

Stay tuned for a City Blog post in mid-December detailing the web development process and a detailed rundown of takomaparkmd.gov’s new features.

…and After That?

We want to get ideas up on the whiteboard! We’d love to hear ideas from our users as to what a “phase II” web project will look like. Send an email to, me, the Media Specialist (craigt@takomaparkmd.gov) so I can make sure it is a part of the discussion.

From Suzanne Ludlow, City Manager of Takoma Park:

Dear Residents, Happy fall! As the air grows crisper, the leaves turn yellow and red, and jack o’lanterns decorate front porches, all Takoma Park eyes look forward to….elections!

Yes, Takoma Park city elections are on November 3 and early voting starts this week. Nearly every resident 16 years old or older may vote in our city elections. While people generally think of federal and state elections as more important, remember that most public services that affect the comfort, safety and enjoyment of your home and neighborhood are provided by the City of Takoma Park.

Each ballot will have three things to vote on – who should be the Councilmember for your Ward, who should be the Mayor, and an advisory question on whether or not you support moving Takoma Park elections to even-numbered years to be consistent with federal and state elections.

Your vote is important, and the Board of Elections works hard to help make voting easy. Look for the pullout Elections section of the Takoma Park Newsletter or go to elections.takomaparkmd.gov for everything you need to know about this year’s election and how to vote. Besides the important business of elections, there are a couple of other matters I want to draw your attention to—

Takoma Park Library Renovation Plan

A concept plan for a remodeled Takoma Park Library will be presented to the Council on Thursday, October 29. See the plan on the Library Renovation page.

I am really excited and pleased with this proposal. The walls of the library would move a little closer to Philadelphia and would fill in space on the parking lot side. The mosaic would stay in place. A welcoming main entrance would be on the parking lot side. Just one tree on the Philadelphia Avenue side would need to be removed.

The renovated library would have windows on the Philadelphia Avenue side, allowing people to see in and readers to enjoy the light and the trees. Inside, new bathrooms, a room for programs and flexible space for books, computers, tables and gatherings will allow the library to meet the vision of a 21st Century library, perfectly sized for Takoma Park.

I’m particularly pleased with this plan because just a modest building enlargement will allow for a terrific community library. The current structure is in bad shape – it’s worn out. It is only usable due to a great library staff and our creative facilities manager who has found ways to provide heat or air conditioning most of the time it’s needed. The building does not meet ADA or environmental sustainability standards. Even if we did not do the small enlargement proposed, we would need to overhaul the building. It makes sense to improve both the systems and the functionality of the building at this time. We will be getting some cost estimates soon and those will be discussed with Council and the public. The City would need to borrow money to pay for the improvements, as we always must for major capital projects. We will look to make wise design choices and then monitor the project closely to keep costs down, while getting a project we will be proud of. I look forward to hearing from you about this proposal.

Snow Removal Policies

Council will be voting on snow removal policies in the next weeks. One main revision of current law would require earlier removal of snow from sidewalks so that people can get to school and bus stops safely when it snows. Fine amounts for not clearing snow promptly would be reduced from the current $200, but would increase with subsequent violations. For those residents with sidewalks that are difficult to clear completely (such as those between a curb and a retaining wall), at least a three-foot wide path must be cleared. Check out the proposed Snow and Ice Regulations Ordinance is in the October 29, 2015 City Council Meeting packet.

Website and Software Improvements

In my last Message from the City Manager, I reported that work was being done on three major software systems over the summer. We have completed the transition to a new financial system and a new time and attendance system. We will move to a new website right after the elections. You can check out our Beta version of the new website and make comments on it now. Go to takomaparkmd.gov and see how it works for you. There is still content being moved into the pages and the search functions are still limited, but I think you’ll like it. If you find a problem, there is a brief reporting survey there to let us know what it is.

I want to give a shout out to our IT, Finance Department, and Human Resources staff and to our Media Specialist and web consultants for the terrific, and really hard, work they have put in to make our software transitions take place. There was no down time for them this summer. Work remains, but we are past the big hurdles. They just did a great job.

Finally, Halloween is this Saturday, with the fun Monster Bash on Carroll Avenue during the day and trick or treating in the evening. It’s a great community gathering time.

Halloween is a special day at my house because it’s my husband’s birthday. In addition to Halloween candy, we get birthday cake!

I hope your Halloween is happy and safe and then on November 3, you vote!

Best,

Suzanne Ludlow
City Manager
Email: SuzanneL@takomaparkmd.gov
Phone: 301-891-7229

From Craig Terrill, Media Specialist of Takoma Park:

About takomaparkmd.gov

Welcome to beta.takomaparkmd.gov! This is a bottom up rethinking of how a municipal website will work and serve the guests and residents of Takoma Park.

We Invite Participation

We’re opening the beta so we can finish the new website out in the open. This is website is still under construction. Content is missing. There are going to be glitches. The design may still be a bit loose here and there. Navigation may be confusing in places.

That all being said… we’re getting close to a full launch and want to show our neighbors where we are at now that the site is starting to take its final shape.

We’d Like Your Help

Play around and tell us what you think by taking a very short survey.

We want to hear the good stuff, the bad stuff and the ugly stuff. We also would like to know a little bit about you and how you plan to use takomaparkmd.gov.

What Happens Next?

The beta phase of the new version of takomaparkmd.gov is the culmination of over eight months of technical development and content work. Over the next few weeks we’re using this public beta to find bugs and solicit user feedback as we finish out importing content. Once our web content has been imported this website will replace the website that is currently located at takomaparkmd.gov.

…and After That?

We’re thinking about it already. We’d love to hear ideas from the community as to what a “phase II” web project will look like. Send an email to, me, the Media Specialist (craigt@takomaparkmd.gov) so I can make sure it is a part of the discussion.

Thanks!

I’d like to thank staff and council who have made getting this website to beta possible. I’ve been truly humbled by the how Takoma Park staff have pitched in and helped make this beta launch a reality.

Craig Terrill
Media Specialist