Residents are reminded that our trash, recycling and yard waste collection is now on the summer schedule.
This means that instead of a collection time of 7:00 a.m., waste will now be collected starting at 6:00 a.m. until the rest of the year.
Category Archives: News
Category for general news items.
Lunch with the Mayor
We are thrilled to announce that Mayor Kate Stewart will be hosting lunches in restaurants in the Takoma Langley Crossroads neighborhood of Takoma Park. Listed below are the dates and locations of the lunches. Community members are encouraged to join!
June 9 – Caribbean Palace
June 23 – Pupuseria El Comalito
July 28 – Tiffin
August 25 – Sardi’s Pollo A La Brasa
September 8 – El Marinero Comida Lantina and Grill
September 22 – El Campeon Rotisserie Chicken & Bakery
October 13 – Tijuana’s Mexican Cafe
All lunches start at 12:00 noon. For more information and updates on location changes, please visit http://takomalangely.org/events/.
Message from the Acting Police Chief Regarding Fake ICE Flyers
It has come to the City of Takoma Park Police Department’s attention that flyers are being posted in and around the District of Columbia warning about penalties for supporting illegal immigration. These flyers appear to be authentic with logos from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. These flyers are FAKE. Both agencies deny issuing or sanctioning such flyers. It is not clear at this time who is posting them.
If you see any such flyer in the City, please take it down and contact the Takoma Park Police Department at 301-270-1100. The flyer is meant to scare the residents.
As former Chief Goldberg indicated to the City residents in November 2016, “The Takoma Park Police Department is committed to Constitutional Policing where the rights of all individuals are respected. As a local police department, we have sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States, the Maryland Constitution and the local laws and codes. Our priority is and always has been the preservation of life and protection of property. To that end, I can assure our residents that we are apolitical and will continue to build and maintain our bridges with the community…We have no interest or authority in the deportation of immigrants. The mission and commitment of the Takoma Park Police Department is the safety and welfare of all our residents and visitors. We value and will continue to maintain our relationships with all members of our community.”
We respect all City of Takoma Park residents no matter their immigration status – Takoma Park remains a sanctuary city.
City of Takoma Park Recognizes Immigrant Heritage Month
Mayor Kate Stewart will issue a mayoral proclamation recognizing the month of June 2017 as Immigrant Heritage Month. Immigrant Heritage Month serves as a way to celebrate our country’s diverse immigrant heritage and emphasize the many cultural backgrounds of individuals and families who have contributed to making our City a welcoming place for all.
Mayor Stewart emphasizes, “Now more than ever, it is essential we take time to recognize and celebrate Immigrant Heritage Month. In coming together, we recommit ourselves to being an inclusive and welcoming community that upholds the right of all people to live with dignity and respect.”
Members of the community are encouraged to join the Mayor and City Council for a celebratory reception before the City Council Meeting at 7:00 p.m. on June 21, 2017. Please note that this event and the City Council Meeting will be held at the New Hampshire Recreation Center at 7315 New Hampshire Avenue.
Takoma Park is committed to fostering a livable community for all and this proclamation and event reaffirms that ongoing pledge.
Market Meet and Greet with Mayor Kate Stewart
Meet and Greet with Mayor Kate Stewart:
Crossroads Farmers Market, Wednesday, May 31, 11:00 a.m., at the Crossroads: Join us at the Farmers Market to meet and greet Mayor Kate Stewart! Mayor Stewart will be there to ring the opening bell. The event will be held at Anne Street (between University Boulevard and Hammond Avenue, across from the Rite Aid), Takoma Park, MD 20912. All are welcome!
Takoma Park Launches Car Free Challenge
The City of Takoma Park is excited to launch a 5 month-long competition to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation and reduce the number of cars on the road.
The Takoma Park Car Free Challenge is open to anyone living or working in Takoma Park, Maryland and can be completed individually or on a team. Miles for any trip that would typically be taken by car such as going to work, school, grocery store, appointments, out to dinner, etc. all count toward the competition.
Monthly prizes will be awarded starting June 19 and may include items such as: gift cards to a local bike shop, gift card to a local shoe store for new walking shoes, smartrip cards, bikeshare gift certificates, new bike accessories like helmets, lights, tune-ups, and more!
Starting the Car Free Challenge is easy, follow these steps:
- Go to www.carfreetkpk.com to register and join (or start) a team.
- Log your miles / trips at www.carfreetkpk.com or download the “From Labs Challenge” app on your smartphone to log trips with GPS.
- Win prizes and help promote a sustainable community!
Takoma Park is committed to fostering a sustainable community for all. Do your part to help keep our city green and groovy for years to come!
What’s Your Takoma Park?
We want to know, what’s your Takoma Park? Everyone’s experience is different, and we want to hear about yours!
The City of Takoma Park has contracted with the Cloudburst Group to develop a Housing and Economic Development Strategic Plan. As part of Cloudburst’s research into current conditions in housing and the economy of the area, this survey will supplement data analysis and interviews with local elected officials, staff, and stakeholders to provide a snapshot of current conditions..
Please take a few minutes to take the Takoma Park Housing and Economic Development Strategic Plan Survey. We appreciate your time and thank you for your participation!
If you are interested in obtaining information on this survey, please contact Sara Daines at 301.891.7224 or sarad@takomaparkmd.gov.
Takoma Park Named Playful City USA for 9th Year in a Row
Wednesday, May 17, 2017, the national nonprofit KaBOOM announced that Takoma Park would be recognized as A Playful City USA for the ninth year in a row.
Playful City USA is a recognition program honoring cities and towns that ensure that kids in their communities, particularly kids from low-income families, get the balanced and active play they need to thrive.
Takoma Park is proud to stand with 257 honored communities who are making it easier for all kids to get balanced and active play in their neighborhoods and for pledging to integrate play as a solution to the challenges facing their communities.
Play on!
Montgomery County Tax Sale
*UPDATE*: As of May 24, the real property taxes and charges owed by the Washington-McLaughlin property owner have been paid and the property has been removed from the Montgomery County Tax Sale. Information on the entity which made the tax payment is not public. The City will be receiving the taxes owed for Levy Years 2012-2016 (about $28,000).
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The Montgomery County Department of Finance has posted information about the upcoming annual Tax Sale for Real Property, which will take place on June 12, 2017. The process and requirements are available on the County’s tax sale website. The list of tax sale properties, which was made publicly available on May 18, includes the Washington-McLaughlin School at 6501 Poplar Avenue, a property of particular interest to the community.
A “tax sale” is a sale of the tax lien on a property, not of the property itself. The property owner, or other person having an estate or interest in the property, can redeem the property tax lien at any time until the “right of redemption” is foreclosed by an order of the Circuit Court. During the redemption period, the property owner has the right to continue to possess or occupy the property and to exercise all rights of ownership until the right of redemption is finally foreclosed by an order of the Circuit Court.
For the first four months after the date of the tax sale, properties can be redeemed without payment of the expenses or legal fees of the tax sale certificate holder (the purchaser of the tax lien at the tax sale). After the expiration of six months from the date of the tax sale, the tax sale certificate holder can file a complaint in the Circuit Court to foreclose all rights of redemption in the property sold at the tax sale. If the court enters a final judgment foreclosing the right of redemption of the property, then title to the property will pass to the tax sale certificate holder. However, the property owner or other person having an estate or interest in the property can redeem the property by paying the delinquent taxes and all other charges –including interest, expenses, and legal fees –to the tax sale purchaser, at any time before the final judgment foreclosing the right of redemption is entered by the Circuit Court. This is when the tax sale purchaser will have to pay the balance of the tax sale purchase price, together with taxes and charges accruing subsequent to the tax sale. If an action to foreclose the right of redemption is not filed within two years after the date of the tax sale, then the tax sale certificate is void.
The Washington-McLaughlin property is currently zoned R-60. Generally, R-60 zoning is for moderate density residential uses. The predominant use in an R-60 zone is residential detached houses.
City Code Chapter 6.32, Tenant Opportunity to Purchase, and County Code, Chapter 53A, Tenant Displacement, apply only to sales or transfers of legal or equitable ownership of rental housing. Because the tax sale is not a sale of the property, but rather a sale of the tax lien on the property, neither would regulation would apply for properties listed in the tax sale.
Community Coffee with Mayor Stewart and Councilmember Male
Please join Mayor Kate Stewart and Councilmember Tim Male for a community conversation on Friday, May 19, 2017 from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. at Los Pollos Restaurant.
