Category Archives: News

Category for general news items.

News, Public Notices

It’s Budget Season – Review and Comment on the FY 2023 Proposed Budget

FY 2023 Budget Schedule

The City Manager presented his recommended budget to the City Council on Wednesday, April 6.

City Council meetings are taking place in the Community Center Auditorium. Residents may attend and comment in person or register in advance to comment over Zoom. (Registration no later than 5 p.m. on the meeting day is required to comment remotely.)

View City Council meeting agendas for additional information on viewing meetings and registration to comment by Zoom.

 

Monday, April 18, 7:30 p.m.

• Opportunity for public comments.
• Budget Work Session

Wednesday, April 20, 7:30 p.m.

• Opportunity for public comments.
• Regular Meeting

Monday, April 25, 7:30 p.m.

• Opportunity for public comments.
• Budget Work Session

Wednesday, April 27, 7:30 p.m.

• Constant Yield Tax Rate Public Hearing (view the hearing notice)
• Budget Public Hearing

Monday, May 2, 7:30 p.m.

• Opportunity for public comments.
• Budget Work Session (Reconciliation)

Wednesday, May 11, 7:30 p.m.

• Opportunity for public comments.
• First Reading Ordinance Adopting the FY 2023 Tax Rates
• First Reading Ordinance Adopting the FY 2023 Stormwater Management Budget
• First Reading Ordinance Adopting the FY 2023 Budget

Wednesday, May 18, 7:30 p.m.

• Opportunity for public comments.
• Second Reading Ordinance Adopting the FY 2023 Tax Rates
• Second Reading Ordinance Adopting the FY 2023 Stormwater Management Budget
• Second Reading Ordinance Adopting the FY 2023 Budget

News, Public Notices

FY 2023 Budget Public Hearing – Wednesday, April 13, 7:30 PM

The first public hearing on the City Manager’s recommended FY 2023 budget will take place on Wednesday, April 13, 7:30 PM. Comments will be heard in the Auditorium or over Zoom. No registration is needed to comment in person.

Budget Schedule

Wednesday, April 13, 7:30 PM – Budget Public Hearing

Monday, April 18, 7:30 PM – Budget Work Session (Operating and Community Services Budget)

Monday, April 25, 7:30 PM – Budget Work Session (Capital Projects)

Wednesday, April 27, 7:30 PM

  • Public Hearing on the FY 2023 Tax Rate (Constant Yield Tax Rate Public Hearing)
  • Public Hearing on the FY 2023 Budget

Monday, May 2 – Budget Work Session (Reconciliation)

Wednesday, May 11 – First Reading Ordinances Adopting the FY 2023 Tax Rates and Budget

Wednesday, May 18 – Second Reading Ordinances Adopting the FY 2023 Tax Rates and Budget

News

Recreation Department Program Registration Begins Soon

 

The Recreation Department is excited to announce their upcoming registration dates for classes and programs! All registrations open at 9am both online and in-person.   Click on the header to be taken to the specific website for more information.  Scholarships are available for City residents that qualify. For more information on scholarships click here.

Spring/Summer Classes

  • Scholarship Awardees 3/3/22
  • Takoma Park Residents 3/10/22
  • Non-Resident 3/17/22

 

Summer Camp

  • Scholarship Awardees 3/15/22
  • Takoma Park Residents 3/22/22
  • Non-Resident 3/29/22

 

2022-2023 School Year Child Care

  • Scholarship Awardees 4/21/22
  • Takoma Park Residents 4/28/22
  • Non-Resident 5/5/22

 

Register Here!

News, Public Notices

Mask Mandate Continues in City Buildings and Facilities Until Further Notice

 

Although Montgomery County’s mask mandate is set to expire on Monday, February 21, the City of Takoma Park will continue to adhere to City Manager Fox’s mask mandate in city buildings and facilities for all employees and visitors until further notice.

 

On other items: 

  1. Our partnership with Montgomery County DHHS continues with PCR testing on Wednesdays at the Takoma Park Recreation Center from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm through March 2022.
  2. Our library offers at-home rapid test kits and masks available for pickup during regular hours.

 

As more information becomes available, we will update our communications.

Arts & Humanities, News, News Alert

“Paper or Plastic?” Artwork Installed in the Takoma Park Community Center

Crafted from plastic newspaper delivery bags and reused straws, a large art installation with an environmental message has been suspended from the ceiling in the Takoma Park Community Center.

The artwork by D.C. artist Jessica Beels critiques our careless consumption of disposable products which can cause serious environmental harms. Beels fused dozens of plastic newspaper delivery bags into 20 colorful flag-like grids which are connected by straightened metal clothes hangers and reused plastic straws.

“I am intrigued by the large destructive environmental impacts caused by our small decisions,” Beels said. “Newspaper bags and straws often aren’t recycled, and they can become microplastics in our oceans where they can disrupt entire ecosystems.”

The artwork was purchased by the City of Takoma Park’s Arts and Humanities Division using public art funds.

“We’re excited to add this meaningful artwork to the City’s permanent art collection,” Arts and Humanities Coordinator Brendan Smith said. “The installation illustrates the City’s commitment to public art and protecting the environment.”

The installation was previously displayed at the Takoma Park Community Center in 2019 during the Art of Evolution exhibition. It will be on display indefinitely in the atrium at the community center at 7500 Maple Avenue. The center’s operating hours are posted on the City’s website.

Beels creates sculptural work which usually addresses environmental themes. Her work has been shown at Strathmore Mansion, Black Rock Center for the Arts, and other venues. You can see more of her artwork at materialworld.studio.

News, Public Notices

New 2022 Assessed Real Property Values are Here!

 

This winter, property owners across the City will receive an updated assessed value for their properties. The State of Maryland conducts these assessments every three years, guiding the City and County’s tax rates for residents and business owners. Visit the Real Property Tax webpage for more information.

Two factors determine property taxes:

  1.  The total assessed value of the real property (land plus improvements) and;
  2. the property tax rate that is established by each taxing jurisdiction. In Takoma Park, taxing jurisdictions include the State of Maryland, Montgomery County, and the City.

Assessments are based on the property’s fair market value and are issued by the Department of Assessments and Taxation, a State government agency. Properties are reassessed once every three years, and property owners are notified of any change in the assessed value of their property in late December. Properties in Takoma Park are scheduled to be reassessed in January 2022, with the new assessed value taking effect in July 2022.

Appealing Your Assessment

The notice contains an appeal form and instructions that must be filed with the local assessment office within the 45-day time limit for appeal. When considering whether to appeal an assessment, the focus should be on the total new fair market value and whether any errors have been made in evaluating the improvement characteristics on the property.

Using the Interactive Map

The City Planning Division has created an interactive map as a tool to provide a broad-based view of your property assessment as well as your neighborhood and surrounding areas. This may assist you should you need to appeal your assessment. Visit the Real Property Tax webpage to see the interactive map that displays how your property value has changed since the 2019 assessment.

 

This article was featured in the January 2022 Newsletter. Visit the Takoma Park Newsletter webpage to see full list of past newsletters.

News, Public Notices

Takoma Park Youth Council Winter Clothes Drive

The Takoma Park Youth Council, in partnership with Adventist Community Services, is sponsoring a Winter Clothes Drive.

Donations of coats, gloves, hats, sweaters and other winter clothes can be dropped off at the Recreation Center, Police Department, and Community Center lobbies. Please give what you can to help work towards a Takoma Park where everyone has the clothes they need to thrive during every season.

Drive Duration

Start: January 19, 2022
End: March 6, 2022

Drop-Off Locations

7500 Maple Avenue
Takoma Park, MD 20912

 

OR

 

7315 New Hampshire Ave
Takoma Park, MD 20912

 

Give warmth to those in need this winter! Thank you for your generosity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arts & Humanities, News, News Alert

New Memorial Park Banner Celebrates Women’s Power and Diversity

Liliane Blom with her new banner at Memorial Park 

The City of Takoma Park’s Arts and Humanities Division commissioned a new banner celebrating the power and diversity of women which is installed at Memorial Park.

The banner features a painting titled Late Summer by Rockville artist Liliane Blom from her Four Seasons series highlighting women of different ages and ethnicities in settings representing the different seasons. The banner includes a portrait of Baltimore R&B and gospel singer Alton Scarborough with a floral background.

“We’re proud to display this banner as a sign of the City’s commitment to racial diversity through the creation of public art that enlivens our community,” Arts and Humanities Coordinator Brendan Smith said.

The new banner will be on display indefinitely at Memorial Park located across the street from the Takoma Park library at 101 Philadelphia Avenue.

The banner replaces a temporary banner of another painting from the same series titled Mid Autumn that depicted a portrait of Nepalese-born Karuna Skariah, an educator and mother who lives in Ellicott City. That banner was part of the #ArtHappensHere project which celebrated the reopening of the local creative economy after pandemic-related closures.

The women featured in the Four Seasons series “embody nature, the seasons, and the great circle of existence,” Blom said.

“Four Seasons showcases women of many ages (from 14 to 90) and ethnicities, including immigrants to our state representing nine countries on five continents. The circle is at the heart of this series with women as the champions of the environment at its center,” Blom said. “The series embodies the beauty and value of all ages and ethnic groups and is intended to combat stereotypes and ageism in  both subtle and powerful ways. It reminds us that nature and humans are intimately and eternally entwined, and we need to protect the earth.”

You can learn more about some of the City’s public art projects on the City’s website.

News, Public Notices

The Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund is now open for application

 

Are you struggling to keep up with your mortgage payments or other housing costs due to financial hardships?

Don’t Wait.

Contact a HUD-approved Housing Counseling Agency for assistance.

  • Call the Housing Initiatives Partnership (HIP) at 301-699-3835 or visit their website at https://hiphomes.org/.

A HUD-certified housing counselor will review all mortgage relief options based on your specific circumstances and can assist you with finding a solution that works best for you. Counselors will additionally help you understand whether you are eligible for the Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) program and assist with the application process. Learn more about the Homeowner Assistance Fund.

If you are outside Montgomery County, you can also call 1-877-462-7555 to find a state-approved nonprofit agency that can provide individual guidance to homeowners facing foreclosure.

Getting help early can mean saving your home and losing it to foreclosure.

News

New Year, New Takoma Park Silver Spring Community Kitchen!

The Story of TPSS Community Kitchen

 

The Takoma Park Silver Spring (TTPS) Community Kitchen recently underwent an expansion project to create more storage and workspace on the second floor. The timing could not be more perfect since the increased space will allow the kitchen to accommodate more food businesses while also promoting culinary justice through its community-based programming.

Most small-scale food business entrepreneurs lack the capital to invest in their own production facilities, and rental costs at commercial kitchens in the DC area are prohibitive. So Crossroads worked with the Takoma Park Presbyterian Church to transform an existing kitchen space into a shared-use, commercial kitchen to help meet the needs of local small-scale food entrepreneurs. Since August 2017, the focus of the community kitchen has been to be a resource and facility for community members to develop economic independence while sharing cultural experiences. Many entrepreneurs create products and meals with recipes passed down from generations or ingredients native to their home country.

Most business owners based at the TPSS Community Kitchen aspire to own restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, food trucks, or household brands that started locally. The kitchen allows these entrepreneurs to take fundamental steps to learn the basics of starting and operating a business and scale up strategically to attain their goals. In collaboration with Crossroads Farmers Market, there are opportunities for businesses to operate as pop-up vendors to make sales, receive consumer feedback, and learn essential factors necessary to improve their business.

The kitchen is also a hub for community activity. Recently a group of gardeners supported by Community CHEER made meals together from fresh produce they’d grown and harvested in local garden plots. Crossroads is also thrilled to resume its partnership with the City of Takoma Park Recreation Department. Beginning in February, middle school students again will have the opportunity to cook in the kitchen with Crossroads’ Healthy Eating Program staff. Students can  register now through the City of Takoma Park. There are two different time slots for this class, with a maximum of 6 students per session.

It is an exciting time for the community kitchen. Crossroads looks forward to another year of supporting financial self-sufficiency, increasing local economic growth, and facilitating cultural expression and community connection—all necessary components of an equitable and robust local food system.