Staff-Recommended ARPA Spending Plan

Based on a six-month needs assessment, project review, and project prioritization process, staff has identified 20 projects that are being recommended to the City of Takoma Park City Council utilizing ARPA/SLFRF in the amount of $13,495,100. The Staff-Recommended Spending Plan is now available for public review and comment.

The Staff-Recommended ARPA Spending Plan (Spending Plan – (updated 1/19/22) was presented to City Council on January 12 during the regular session. Now, we want to hear from you!  Do you think the staff spending plan meets the needs of Takoma Park residents?  Do you have questions or thoughts on how the City should spend the ARPA funds?

We have several opportunities coming up for discussion and public comment and we hope you can join us.  See dates, times, and registration links below. For more information on upcoming public feedback opportunities, visit the City Council Upcoming Agenda page and the ARPA Webpage to learn more.

Discussion and Public Comments

Past meetings:

Wednesday, January 26, 2022
Public Hearing – Hosted by the City Council during its regular sessions

• Agenda
• Slide Presentation
• Recorded Session

Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Hosted by the City Council during its regular sessions

• Agenda
• Recorded Session

Tuesday, January 18, 2022
Community Meeting on Staff Recommended ARPA Spending Plan

• ARPA Spending Plan  – Presentation (PDF) Slide Presentation
  
• Recorded Session – Spanish
• Recorded Session – with ASL

Wednesday, January 12, 2022
Public Comments and City Council Meeting
Hosts include City staff and City Councilmembers

• Agenda
• Recorded Session

With the emergence of the highly contagious Omicron variant, COVID-19 continues to pose a very serious health risk, especially to those individuals who are not fully vaccinated. The City’s COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination Policy (the “Policy”) is in the best interest of the City and all employees in order to most effectively address the pandemic.

The City of Takoma Park, in compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (OSHA ETS), and to promote the health and safety of the City workforce, residents, and visitors, adopts a COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination Policy (the “Policy”).

The Policy requires that all City employees, independent contractors, interns, and temporary workers be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, subject to approved accommodations, including receipt of any additional doses of a COVID-19 vaccine (i.e., booster) in a manner and schedule consistent with this Policy as informed by CDC guidelines.

Vaccination & Booster Requirement

All City employees, independent contractors, interns, and temporary workers must be fully vaccinated
against COVID-19 no later than February 9, 2022.

To be fully vaccinated by February 9, 2022, an employee or other covered person must:

• Obtain the first dose of a two-dose vaccine no later than January 19, 2022 (Pfizer) or January 12, 2022 (Moderna); and the second dose no later than February 9, 2022; or
• Obtain one dose of a single dose vaccine no later than February 9, 2022.

In addition, covered individuals who are eligible to receive a booster must obtain the booster as follows:

• If currently eligible for an approved COVID-19 booster, you must obtain the booster by February 9, 2022; and
• If not currently eligible for an approved COVID-19 booster, you must obtain the booster within 30 days of becoming eligible for a booster per CDC guidance.

Other Items to Note

Time to Receive Vaccination
Employees may take up to four (4) hours of work time during the workday per dose to receive vaccination and a booster.

Time to Recover from Vaccine Side Effects
Employees may utilize up to two (2) workdays of sick leave, if needed, because of side effects from the COVID-19 vaccination/booster that prevent them from working.

City of Takoma Park Vaccination Policy

Purpose
Vaccination is a vital tool to reduce the presence and severity of COVID-19 cases in the workplace, in communities, and in the nation as a whole. The City has adopted this Policy to comply with OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard on Vaccination and Testing, which encourages full vaccination of the workforce against COVID-19, and to promote the safety and wellbeing of others.

Read the full policy here.

FAQs

Who is required to be vaccinated by the Policy and when is the Policy effective?
The Policy requires that all City employees, independent contractors, interns, and temporary workers be fully vaccinated against COVID-19

Where can I obtain testing?
There are multiple testing locations. Some options for free testing can be found at:

• Montgomery County Testing Clinic:
  https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/testing.html#clinics
• Prince George’s County Site (must work or live in Prince George’s County):
  https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/3730/COVID-19-Vaccination
  

To see the full list, visit our FAQs page.

AFSCME Local 3399 and the City of Takoma Park reached an agreement regarding a wage adjustment and other compensation for fiscal year 2022.  The agreement includes a 3% wage adjustment retroactive to July 1, 2021, a $2,500 end of year bonus to employees, and, in recognition of the contribution of frontline workers who continued to work on-site during the pandemic, a $3,400 bonus payment to frontline workers using American Rescue Plan Act funds.

AFSCME members ratified the memorandum of agreement (MOA) on December 14, 2021.  City Council will meet to appropriate the funds agreed to as part of the MOA in January 2022, however, some of the funds have already been approved.  As part of the ARPA Interim Final Rule, premium pay may be provided for employees who physically came to work and were relied upon to maintain the continuity of operations.

Statement from City Manager Jamal Fox

“Both sides worked diligently to find common ground and reach meaningful compromises. We absolutely value our City employees and the critical services they provide to residents of Takoma Park. This agreement recognizes that while also honoring the responsibility we have to ensure City programs are administered efficiently and effectively. I am incredibly proud of the work of our team’s efforts and thank AFSCME’s team for their partnership. The agreement for compensation in fiscal year 2022 is unlike any in the City’s history and recognizes the contribution of all City employees.  These were challenging negotiations, but the agreement demonstrates the success that can be achieved when we work together.  The City looks forward to building upon that success.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Release

Takoma Park One of 95 Global Cities Named as Climate Leaders

The City of Takoma Park has been recognized by Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) as one of the top 95 cities out of 1,100 cities across the globe, taking bold leadership on environmental action and transparency, despite the continued pressures of tackling the coronavirus pandemic on local and national economies and societies.

Designed to encourage and support cities to ramp up their climate action and ambition, CDP’s Cities A List is based on environmental data disclosed by cities to the CDP-ICLEI Unified Reporting System. A clear momentum in city climate disclosure and action is building – for the first time, over 1,000 cities are reporting their environmental impact through CDP in 2021. Meanwhile, 965 cities received a rating for their climate action from CDP in 2021, a substantial rise on the 591 cities scored in 2020.

“In Takoma Park, we have taken the impact and threat of climate change seriously and have treated climate change as an urgent issue. In 2019, the City declared a Climate Emergency,” Takoma Park Mayor Kate Stewart said. “We’ve made a very public statement by declaring a Climate Emergency to pursue the necessary steps to address the global challenges, and we are willing to do our part.”

To score an A, a city must disclose publicly and have a city-wide emissions inventory, have set an emissions reduction target and a renewable energy target for the future, and have published a climate action plan. It must also complete a climate risk and vulnerability assessment and have a climate adaptation plan to demonstrate how it will tackle climate hazards. Many A List cities are also taking various other leadership actions, including political commitment from a city’s Mayor to tackle climate change.

“By dedicating ourselves to aggressive actions regarding climate adaption and resilience. We recognize the devastating consequences of inaction. The City will serve as a leader, and we hope to inspire others to do the same,” Stewart said.

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Contact: 
Gina Mathias
Sustainability Manager
ginam@takomaparkmd.gov
301-891-7623

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Release

City of Takoma Park Releases Data Explorer

The City of Takoma Park is pleased to announce the release of the Takoma Park Data Explorer, a one-stop-shop for members of the public to learn more about the City and its residents through data. The Data Explorer provides summary text and visualizations of selected Census American Community Survey data for 2015-2019, including the City’s demographics, racial and economic inequalities, and access to broadband internet among residents.

All visualizations are interactive, letting interested residents go further in exploring Census data. The Data Explorer also compares results for Takoma Park to Montgomery County and Maryland, identifying statistically significant differences in results for the City compared to the state and county.

The Data Explorer is organized into tabs and sub-tabs that users can move between. An “Overall” tab provides a summary of data analyzed throughout the Explorer. The “Methodology” tab includes methodological information and instructions on how to use the explorer. Each other tab is subject-based: Demographics; Race and Ethnicity; Housing; Poverty, employment, and income; and Education, health insurance, and computer-access, with summaries and sub-tabs allowing further exploration. The City webpage announcing the Explorer includes a PDF and a video explaining how to use the Explorer is coming soon!

Each year, the Explorer will be updated with the most recent 5-year American Community Survey data, allowing residents continued access to up-to-date information about their City. Over time, the City may add other visualizations or text to the Explorer, documented in the “Updates and citations” section of the “Methodology” tab. The code used to produce the Explorer can be found on the City’s GitHub page.

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Contact:
Daniel Powers
Public Administration Specialist
danielp@takomaparkmd.gov
301-891-7232

The City very much values the important work being done by Takoma Park employees and is committed to continuing the collective bargaining process with AFSCME. The COVID-19 pandemic has created hardship for many and caused uncertainty regarding the fiscal climate. The recent rise in inflation is one of the many unforeseeable impacts of the pandemic on our employees and residents alike.

With uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the City continues to work to promote a safe work environment for our staff and ensure they are supported, as well as continue to provide services and programs, such as rental and food assistance, to residents who have been most impacted by COVID-19.

Specifically, for City employees, the Council worked with City staff to:

• Provide hazard pay to:  Police Patrol Officers, other front-facing officers, and some command staff, Police Dispatch; and Public Works employees in Sanitation, Building Maintenance, Custodial staff, Equipment Maintenance, Right of Way Maintenance, Vegetation Maintenance, and Urban Forest.
• Avoid layoffs, retain and continue to pay staff who were unable to perform their job duties in light of pandemic-related complications.
• Pay administrative leave to those who could not work due to COVID-related program closures.
• Offer a retirement incentive to anyone eligible for retirement in an effort to avoid layoffs.
• Increased the amount of vacation leave employees could carry over into the calendar year 2021, from 240 hours to 300 hours, given the impact of the pandemic on travel/vacation.

We will continue to find ways to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on our employees and the whole community, and the City looks forward to the opportunity to continue the discussions with AFSCME. The City and AFSCME will be continuing mediation soon and the City looks forward to continuing that process.

Additional Information:

• The City is roughly halfway through a three-year Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), and during the wage negotiations earlier this year under the terms of that CBA, the City offered to increase the pay scale for employees in the AFSCME bargaining unit by 1.8%. The City provided the same percentage adjustment to non-union employees, and Takoma Park’s police union agreed to that same pay adjustment earlier this year.
• The City Code sets out the process for resolving issues if we are unable to reach an agreement during negotiations, which includes mediation. Two mediation sessions with AFSCME and City representatives were held recently in an effort to reach an agreement.
• Regarding ARPA funds, City staff and Council are actively considering how to allocate funds the City received from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). ARPA federal funds can be targeted to assist the most vulnerable in our community (both short and longer-term), as well as provide hazard pay for front-line workers, replace lost city revenue, and improve water and broadband infrastructure, but cannot be used to reduce taxes, increase salaries, or fund regular ongoing City programs and services.
• Regarding current compensation for City employees:
  • • For full-time City employees, the lowest salary is $43,340, with health, dental, and vision plans provided with no premium cost to the employee for employee-only coverage.
    • The City provides a competitive benefits package beyond paid health insurance premiums for employee coverage, which also includes: a variety of paid leave options, availability to flexible spending accounts, a City match to an optional 457 deferred compensation account, three employee assistance programs, tuition reimbursement, and more.
    • The City is also about to conduct a compensation study and will adjust salaries as needed during our next budget discussions in the Spring.