Category Archives: City Council & Mayor Blog

City Council & Mayor Blog posts are generated directly by the City Council or Mayor with editorial oversight from the City Manager, Deputy City Manager and Media Specialist.

New Beginnings… A Message from Takoma Park Mayor Kate Stewart

 

This time of year is one of transitions and reflections. We look back on 2021 and forward to 2022. Over the last year, there has been a great deal of change in the City. We have said goodbye to long-time residents, who helped shape the community we live in today. We have welcomed many new families and businesses.

As we reflect on 2021, I ask, as you read this, to pause for a moment to recall those who we have lost this year — members of our community who cared for others, championed the causes of justice and fairness, and made our community so much better for being a part of it.

Now, let us look back on 2021. A significant change in the City was welcoming a new City Manager. After conducting a thorough national search and an extensive interview process, the City Council selected Jamal T. Fox as the new City Manager. Mr. Fox began work at the City of Takoma Park on August 2, 2021.

Another significant shift in the second half of 2021 was the re-opening on August 23 of many City facilities. The Recreation Center and the Community Center returned to regular building hours while the Library, Computer Center and Passport Services offered extended hours. A mask mandate is still in effect for all facilities and will continue until further notice.

Even though we had to follow COVID-19 restrictions for much of the year, City staff did a fantastic job of safely bringing our community together, and here are a few samples:

  • National Night Out – first open event for the City
  • Public Space Values Workshop – Parks and Playgrounds
  • Drives (Winter Coat, Pet Drive, Domestic Violence Care packages)
  • We Belong Here: Race Equity Walk
  • Monster Bash with Trunk n Treat

The City also continues to partner with various organizations, health and wellness clinics, and federal agencies to bring FREE COVID-19 Vaccines to the Community.

These partnerships include:

  • Partnering with Small Things Matter for Free Vaccine Pop Up Clinics in front of the Community Center
  • Collaborating with Southern Management/Park Ritchie Apartments, FEMA, the National Guard, and Food Justice DMV for apartment-based clinics.
  • Working with the Office of Community Partnerships, FEMA Strike Team and the 2020 Complete Count Committee to bring the FEMA Mobile Vaccination Units to the City and sending bilingual volunteers door-to-door in the community to let residents know that the units were available, free and interpreters were there to answer questions.

Throughout 2021, the City continued to address food insecurity and assist residents impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, we have been working with nonprofits to get food for those in need.

We also know residents need assistance paying their rents or condo fees, receiving unemployment benefits, and much more. Our City staff continues to provide one-on-one support. Personally, I have seen them in action late at night and on the weekends. Together, we have been on the phone, talking with building managers and owners to ensure buildings are properly maintained during the pandemic and assisting residents with accurate information in different languages.

As we look back on 2021, we have excelled in our work on housing. Homeownership is possible thanks to the City’s Home Stretch Down Payment Assistance Program, which provides financial assistance to eligible individuals and families seeking to achieve homeownership. Ten thousand dollars is available for down payment assistance per qualified individual or household on a first-come, first-served basis. This year our tenth family was able to purchase a home in the City of Takoma Park utilizing this program.

This year also marks Habitat for Humanity’s first home project in lower Montgomery County, thanks to a partnership with the City. Through this partnership, an existing multi-family rental property will be fully renovated into a duplex (one two-bedroom home, one three-bedroom home), using sustainable materials and following the City’s Climate Emergency Response Framework guidelines. In addition, Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland will incorporate energy efficiency standards into its building practices, such as continuous spray foam insulation for the entire structure, water sense fixtures, LED lighting, smart thermostats, and Energy Star mechanical equipment and appliances. This rehab will also be the first example of gas abandonment in residential development in the City. Once development is complete, Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland will sell the duplex homes to two local families unable to afford a home through the traditional market.

Reimaging public safety was a focus of our work in 2021. The City of Takoma Park appreciates all of the hard work done by the Reimagining Public Safety Task Force (RPSTF) and the thoughtful recommendations. The City of Takoma Park is committed to reimagining public safety in Takoma Park. This involves a comprehensive staff review of all of the RPSTF recommendations and a holistic approach to how the City can best provide public safety services. Specifically, as we move into 2022, the City will be looking at how best to provide mental health services in our community.

A major accomplishment on the City Council was a multi-year effort to reimagine our committee structure. Council members and staff worked to create and support more diverse and representative Council-appointed committees.

We took measures this year to put in place:

  • A fresh approach to recruitment and appointment of Committee members
  • Address financial and social barriers that committee participation for residents of color face disproportionately higher rates than white residents
  • Improvements in training and operations of committees – a critical component to ensure that committees and members function in a welcoming way for all residents
  • Bolster committee’s capacity to apply race equity considerations to their work.

We have also seen an increase in new businesses in our community. On November 13, thanks to Main Street Takoma and Takoma Langley Crossroads, we held 21 ribbon cuttings for businesses that had opened since COVID-19 began.

We have also seen façade improvements and a new mural along New Hampshire Avenue. The City was awarded a Facade grant from the State to partner with commercial property owners on New Hampshire Avenue to renovate their properties. The funds leveraged reinvestment for the Takoma-Langley Crossroads Center, which is undergoing a significant upgrade for the businesses’ facades.

In addition, the City completed Community Engagement for the Takoma Park Recreation Center and will be moving forward with plans for the site in 2022.

Looking forward, 2022 will be an exciting year for the City.

We will:

  • Continue to work to address the impact of COVID-19 on businesses and residents and focus on how best to allocate the federal funds to become a Resilient Takoma Park post-COVID. Join us on January 12, 2022, for the Council work session and presentation from staff.
  • Begin construction and renovation of the library!
  • Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Unification of the City in July 2022.
  • Continue plans for the renovation of the New Hampshire Avenue Recreation Center.
  • Advance priorities and continue to implement:
  • Housing and Economic Development Strategic Plan
  • Climate Emergency Response Framework
  • Race Equity Framework
  • Recommendations on Reimaging Public Safety
  • And so much more!!!

This time of year, my family observes Advent, and each Sunday evening in the weeks leading up to Christmas, we light a candle in our Advent wreath. When my children were younger, they wrote this poem that we recite when lighting the candles each week:

  • On the 1st week, I have hope.
  • On the 2nd week, I have love.
  • On the 3rd week, I have joy.
  • On the 4th week, I wish for peace for all, through winter, spring, summer, and fall.

As we enter the final weeks of 2021, I wish you all hope, love, joy, and peace for the coming year.

—Mayor Stewart

A Message From Mayor Stewart on the Recent Shooting and Arrest in our Community

 

Mayor Kate Stewart

On Wednesday, our City witnessed the violent taking of life. Dominique Williams and James Lionel Johnson were shot and killed at the hands of an off-duty Pentagon police officer. We are horrified by these events, and acknowledge this is all the more painful for those who have and continue to experience profiling based upon their appearance and brutality at the hands of those sworn to protect us.

There has been too much pain, trauma, and loss of life. It needs to end. From my perspective, there is no justification for what this person did. We do not and cannot tolerate violence. Our City is committed to ensuring justice is served. And it will be.

In Takoma Park, we must continue our work towards creating a just community. We are committed to reimagining public safety and ending this cycle of violence and trauma.

I want to thank our Police Chief and the detectives who swiftly investigated this case to get the shooter charged. I know many of us have had questions and have been anxious for a result as they conducted a full investigation of this heinous crime.

I also want to thank the many residents who reached out to us over the last couple of days. Your voices and commitment to justice in our community will serve to ensure continued dedication to protecting people’s lives and dignity in our City.

I want to extend my sympathies to the families of Mr. Williams and Mr. Johnson and to Mr. Thomas. To the residents who live in the Takoma Overlook and Hampshire Towers neighborhood where this violence occurred, we are here for you. Our community is here for you.

 

Reflections on Inauguration Day by Mayor Stewart

 

 

Today we exhale a bit. The knots of tension that have formed in the base of our necks and shoulders soften, a bit. The last four years, and in particular the last year and the last two weeks, have been ones of stress, anxiety, pain, loss, and fear for our country.

 

We still face a great deal of work. But, the words of Amanda Gorman today show us that we can continue the unfinished work and begin the healing:

 

We’ve braved the belly of the beast
We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace
And the norms and notions
of what just is
Isn’t always just-ice
And yet the dawn is ours
before we knew it
Somehow we do it
Somehow we’ve weathered and witnessed
a nation that isn’t broken
but simply unfinished

 

I want to take a moment, on this day, to thank the residents of Takoma Park for their continued persistence, compassion, and dedication to justice.

To my colleagues on the Council, I am glad we have these next two years together under a new federal Administration to serve this great City. Together, we will respond to the ongoing pandemic, work to ensure residents are housed and fed and, as we recover, work to build a better and more equitable City.

To our City staff, we are grateful for the countless hours you have put in, and in just the last couple of weeks, your dedication to making sure we safely got to see this wonderful day.

And, today is a wonderful day.

With the swearing-in today of the Biden-Harris Administration, we now have the nation’s first female, African American, Asian American Vice-President.

 

And as President Biden said today:

 

“Folks, this is a time of testing. We face an attack on our democracy and on truth, a raging virus, growing inequity, the sting of systemic racism, a climate in crisis, America’s role in the world. Any one of these will be enough to challenge us in profound ways. But the fact is, we face them all at once, presenting this nation with one of the gravest responsibilities we’ve had. Now we’re going to be tested. Are we going to step up? All of us?

It’s time for boldness, for there is so much to do. And this is certain, I promise you, we will be judged, you and I, by how we resolve these cascading crises of our era.

Will we rise to the occasion, is the question. Will we master this rare and difficult hour? Will we meet our obligations and pass along a new and better world to our children? I believe we must. I’m sure you do as well. I believe we will. And when we do, we’ll write the next great chapter in the history of the United States of America.”

 

As we continue the work ahead, let us find inspiration and strength in the words of Amanda Gorman:

 

We will rebuild, reconcile and recover
and every known nook of our nation and
every corner called our country,
our people diverse and beautiful will emerge,
battered and beautiful
When day comes we step out of the shade,
aflame and unafraid
The new dawn blooms as we free it
For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it
If only we’re brave enough to be it

 

Mayor Kate Stewart

Safety Reminders from Councilmember Searcy for Inauguration Day

 

Dear Takoma Park Residents,

Following the Capitol insurrection on January 6 and on the eve of the Presidential Inauguration, I want to thank our Takoma Park Police Department, communications staff, emergency manager, and other City staff for working tirelessly to ensure the safety of our residents during this unprecedented time.  In preparation for the Presidential Inauguration, we have a few reminders for everyone:

  • Please avoid downtown Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, January 20.  
  • The Takoma Park Police are in an all hands on deck schedule. Therefore, you might see more police in the City than normal. 
  • Due to COVID-19 and increased security in the area, try enjoying Inauguration events from home. 

As always, if you see something of concern, please call our Takoma Park Police Department at 301-270-1100 or call 911 if it’s an emergency. 

Stay calm and stay safe! 

Mayor Stewart Reiterates Our Commitment to Creating an Equitable and Inclusive Community

 

Two disturbing events recently took place in our community, and I wanted to provide an update on actions being taken and to reiterate our commitment to creating an equitable and inclusive community in which all residents can live with dignity and respect.

The first event was a woman who vandalized public art at the Gazebo. The actions and destruction of the image of a Black woman were shocking and appalling to witness. The Maryland-National Capital Park Police, who are handling the incident, have identified a suspect.  Currently, the State’s Attorney’s office is reviewing the case to determine if charges will be filed. The City is working with the Old Town Business Association (OTBA), who commissioned the art, to ensure repairs are made. OTBA has stated that they are waiting to hear back on this and, once the information is available, will work with the artist, the City, and community leaders to determine what the next steps will be. OTBA and I have also been in contact with the Montgomery County Chapter of the NAACP regarding the incident. Our work cannot stop at restoring art. The defacement of this art starkly illustrates the need to continue to fight anti-Black racism.

The other event was the spray painting of a swastika on a car parked in a resident’s driveway. Our Police Dept responded to the call and is investigating the incident. It has also been reported to the Montgomery County hate crimes unit. We know that there has been a recent rise in deadly attacks and historical violence toward Jewish people, and to have this happen in our own community is deeply disturbing. As a City, we strongly denounce anti-Semitism, Holocaust denial, and distortions about Judaism and Jewish life and culture. Last January, the City Council passed a Resolution, Upholding Commitment to Human Rights and Inclusivity.

As we begin 2021, I would like us as a community to recommit ourselves to anti-racist work and reaffirm our commitment to building a welcoming, inclusive community that celebrates diversity and strives for equity and respect for all. We live in a community of people with a great deal of expertise, and we welcome suggestions on concrete steps we can take to advance this work in our City in the weeks and months ahead.

A Message From Mayor Stewart: We Are Here for Each Other – Updated 12/18/2020

 

The Mayors Blog is updated – December 18, 2020
Mayor Stewart updates her blog with translations in Amharic, French and Spanish languages to help share her message throughout other communities.

We are in the tenth month of the uncertainty and enormity of the COVID-19 crisis. While a vaccine appears on the way, we continue to witness the impact the virus is having every day on our families, friends, neighbors, and local businesses.

More than ever since this crisis began, we need to come together as a community to support and help each other. This starts with wearing a mask when in public. Also, stay up to date on the Montgomery County public health guidelines on gatherings, and while I know it can be difficult this time of year, please do not travel for the holidays.

As we have been over the last ten months, the City is here for all of you and will continue to be here.

I am deeply appreciative of all the support, patience, and compassion as we face this crisis together. Our City staff continues to work around the clock to make sure our government keeps running and residents, especially those most vulnerable, are being cared for.  We are working in coordination with County, State, and regional groups, as well as non-profits because we cannot do this alone.

When the crisis first began, we worked on getting reliable testing in our community and we have achieved that.

Every Wednesday and Saturday we have no appointment necessary for FREE COVID-19 testing at

  • Takoma Park Recreation Center
    7315 New Hampshire Avenue
    10:00 am – 5:00 pm
    View the flyer

Addressing food insecurity is also one of our top priorities. We have been working with non-profits to get food to those in need. Grayce Wiggins, our Housing and Community Development Manager, sits on the Montgomery County Food Council to assist in the coordinating of food distribution.

We also know residents need assistance paying their rents, condo fees, receiving unemployment benefits, and much more. Our City staff continues to provide one-on-one support. Personally, I have seen them in action late at night and on the weekends. Together we have been on the phone, talking with building managers and owners to ensure buildings are properly maintained during the pandemic, and assisting residents with accurate information in different languages.  You can see the latest on the City’s efforts here.

City staff continues to keep updating the Information and Resources: COVID-19  page where you can get information about:

  • City facilities and services
  • Resources including where to get masks, food distribution, and much more.
  • Information and resources for businesses
  • Things to do
  • And More!

There are also recommendations on how you can support local organizations and businesses during this time. Check back frequently because we are constantly adding and updating the information.

A few things to highlight for the next couple of weeks:

  • Toy DriveOur City Police Department accepts toys for children aged 2-12 years old through noon December 23, as well as monetary donations and gift cards.
  • Winter Coat Drive. Bring clean, gently used warm coats and jackets in any size, gloves/mittens, and scarves, to the lobby of our City Police Dept. at the Community Center, for those in need this year, in partnership with Adventist Community Services. Ends Friday, December 18.
  • Volunteers Needed for Food Distribution on Saturday, December 19. Please join me on Saturday, December 19 to help the Shepherds of Zion Ministries Intl. Church in partnership with the Capital Area Food Bank and the United States Veterans Reserve Corps and the Maryland Medical Reserve Corps distributes food at Takoma Park Elementary School (TPES). For more details email me at kates@takomaparkmd.gov

To stay connected with the City, please be sure you are signed up for:

Facing this crisis together also requires taking time to take care of yourself. As we enter the upcoming week and continue to check-in and care for others in our community, make sure you are also checking-in and caring for yourself. I continue to go back to this Washington Post article for helpful reminders of how to care for yourself and others during this time.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also provides great resources. Here are some things they suggest you can do to support yourself:

This time of year my family observes Advent, and each Sunday evening in the weeks leading up to Christmas we light a candle in our Advent wreath. When my children were younger they wrote this poem that we recite when lighting the candles each week:

  • On the 1st week I have hope.
  • On the 2nd week I have love.
  • On the 3rd week I have joy.
  • On the 4th week, I wish for peace for all, through winter, spring, summer, and fall.

As we enter the final weeks of 2020, I wish you all hope, love, joy, and peace for the coming year.

 

 

A Message from Mayor Stewart: This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for our community. Our family.

 

Thanksgiving 2020

2020 has been a year. Together, we have faced many challenges, and continue to combat a virus that impacts the members of our community who are most in need. We know that while there is hope of a vaccine, we still have many months ahead and a long recovery.

In our darkest moments, we may be questioning and asking what there is to be thankful for.

But then we remember and express gratitude for:

  • The members of the community who provide food, housing, medical care to those in need.
  • The reuniting of families after a long battle with the virus.
  • Our frontline workers who continue to provide medical care, pickup our trash and recycling, serve us in restaurants and stores, drive buses and metro, and so many more to keep us going.
  • Each other. For the small acts of kindness from raking a neighbor’s leaves to planting a few extra flowers, or dropping off groceries to the kind word when needed the most.

These are the things that allow us to continue on. If you need help, reach out. If you see a neighbor who is struggling, reach out. Be mindful of your own wellbeing, including your mental health and the mental health of those around you. The City is here as a resource for all.

The City staff continues to keep the COVID-19 website page updated. Please use it and let us know if you can’t find something you need.

For the members of our community with family and friends in Ethiopia, we are here for you and pray for peace.

During the holidays, I spend time thinking of the Thanksgivings I had as a child. My grandfather always reminded us of the importance of family, helping one another, and being there for each other.

Takoma Park is a family. Our residents, staff, businesses – we are family. We are there for each other and we will continue to be there for each other.

On this Thanksgiving, I am thankful for our community. Our family.

I also wanted to share the picture above with all of you as a reminder of our family. I commissioned Chris Ha, a young graphic designer in Takoma Park, to design this art piece, and for me, it is a reminder of what we have to be thankful for this season.

With thanks,
Mayor Kate

 

Join Us Virtually This Monday, November 16 at 1:30pm for the Swearing-In Ceremony of the Mayor and City Council

 


City Council Meetings

The final meeting of the current City Council will take place on Monday, November 16, 12:30 PM. The meeting will take place on Zoom.

Swearing-in Ceremony of Mayor and City Council

At 1:30 PM, the new Mayor and City Council will take the oath or affirmation of office. Although this event will take place in front of the Takoma Park Community Center, 7500 Maple Avenue,.

Although closed to the public due to restrictions related to the coronavirus outbreak. The event may be viewed:

The first meeting of the new City Council will take place at 7:30 PM on Wednesday, November 18.

Many Ways to Access Public Information in Takoma Park

 

Although the COVID-19 health emergency is keeping our City facilities closed to the public, City staff are continuing to serve Takoma Park residents. We are working hard to keep information up-to-date on our webpage, we answer your phone calls and emails, and we often meet with residents in virtual meetings on a number of subjects.

Recently, there have been some questions about Public Information Act requests and other requests for information. If someone has a question about a project, they can go to the City’s website and look under Initiatives (for example, Takoma Junction Development Review or Bus Stop Improvements), or they can directly contact the staff person associated with the project. City staff readily answer many questions a day from residents and Councilmembers. If certain information is not on our website and we realize it is of interest to more than a few people, we add it to our website or we do a social media campaign or a Takoma Park Newsletter article to get the word out. We work hard to be responsive to residents’ questions and concerns.

Sometimes, there is interest in the production of records (such as copies of emails or financial data or Police reports), which qualifies as a Maryland Public Information Act request. Pursuant to the provisions of State law, we produce records that have been requested. Sometimes the collection of the records is time-consuming, so a charge* is required for more than two hours of work, recognizing that some large requests could take staff away from other duties.  In these cases, staff of the City Clerk’s or City Attorney’s office communicates with the requester to see if there is a way to modify or narrow the request to limit the cost of the work involved in producing the records. This is the approach outlined in State law. In having these communications, we frequently learn that the requested records may not actually be the best way to obtain the information and we can help the requester get the information they need in a different way or for a more precise time period.

* Here is more information on fees. (The City’s fee waiver process is handled by City staff and necessarily follows the statutorily prescribed process.  With respect to a fee waiver, the statute requires that one be requested.  The request must be made with specificity as to why it should be granted, but that is only the first step in the process.  The second step under the statute is whether the applicant meets the criteria for a waiver.  Under the Maryland law the criteria may be met if the applicant for the fee waiver is indigent (an affidavit of indigency is required in support).  Alternatively, after the official custodian considers the ability of the applicant to pay the fee and other relevant factors, the custodian may grant the request if the custodian determines that the waiver would be in the public interest.  Maryland cases are sparse on the public interest analysis.  Maryland’s Attorney General’s Public Information Act Manual recommends reviewing federal Freedom of Information Act cases regarding the public interest analysis.  The nature of the analysis applied by the federal courts depends on the basis for the fee waiver request).

If you’re having difficulty finding the information you are interested in, please call the main City’s phone number at 301-891-7100, the City Clerk at 301-891-7267, or the City Manager at 301-891-7229 or SuzanneL@takomaparkmd.gov.

During these challenging times, different questions may arise, but we are still here to help!

 

A Letter to the Community on Budget Goals and Priorities.

 

Dear Takoma Park Community,

The uncertainty and enormity of the COVID-19 pandemic hangs over us all. Although there are many unknowns that make planning even for the next few weeks — let alone the next year — harder than usual, we are committed to ensuring the long-term wellbeing and safety of all Takoma Park residents.

As members of the Takoma Park City Council, we have been working since early April on the FY2021 City Budget. We extend our deep appreciation to the work of the City Manager and staff during this time. We knew from the first presentation on April 6th that the proposed budget needed to be revised to take into consideration the health crisis, and we have learned much more about the health and economic situation since then.

Over the past few weeks, we have discussed and posed questions about the City Budget and heard from many residents about their priorities and concerns. As we work to finalize the budget, we’ve come together to summarize some of the overarching goals we have identified over the past few weeks.

There is still more discussion and difficult decisions for the Council to make on the budget. We have differing views on various specific line-items in the budget, but our discussions over the past weeks have shown a common commitment to ensuring that City funds are managed responsibly to ensure the wellbeing and safety of our community now and into the future.

As the City, we are the first line of defense for those most impacted and vulnerable during this crisis. By acting quickly and with sufficient resources, we can help more people stay in their homes and keep businesses afloat while we wait and advocate for assistance at the county, state, and federal level.  We also know that while this crisis impacts everyone, the magnitude of the impact is not equal, further exposing the racial injustices that we must address as a City.

Our focus for the remainder of FY2020 and as we consider the FY2021 budget must be to provide for those residents, staff, and businesses most impacted and vulnerable during this very difficult time.

Therefore, we are prioritizing:

  • Resources to enable the City to continue to provide financial support for residents including rent, HOA fees, utilities, medical care, food, and other needs.
  • Resources to increase workforce development assistance to residents who have been laid-off or forced to job transition.
  • Support and assistance to our small businesses and business associations.
  • Resources to support the City’s frontline staff who are working hard to provide critical support and services to the community during the pandemic, including hazard pay.
  • Resources and flexibility to shift how our staff and government operates to meet the needs of residents now and into the future.
  • Continuation of funding for public safety initiatives.
  • Continue and explore expanding targeted property tax assistance programs.
  • Maintenance of healthy reserves to ensure the City has resources to meet unexpected challenges.

To meet the goals above, we support the following and continue to explore other options:

  • Reductions and cuts to the proposed budget to reach a tax rate not exceeding the current rate of 53.97 cents per $100 assessed valuation.
  • Suspension of funds for large public gatherings and savings from unused overtime for police and public works for such gatherings.
  • A hold on filling some staff vacancies.
  • A hold for at least the first quarter of the year on certain expenditures that can be re-evaluated throughout the year.

While we agree on these overarching goals and direction, we are each still looking at specific line items that may be included in the budget, cut, or placed on hold for at least the first quarter.

A budget is our roadmap for the work we do in the City. Unfortunately, the road ahead is filled with much uncertainty. We must, therefore, have a budget that is flexible enough to allow us to respond to the unknown ahead and keep our main priorities – the wellbeing of our residents, businesses, and staff – front and center.

Thank you again to the staff and to residents who have provided their input throughout this process.

Mayor Stewart
Mayor ProTem Seamens
Councilmember Kostiuk
Councilmember Searcy
Councilmember Dyballa